The True You
by AlwaysYourAibou
Summary: A broken puzzle and another wish allows Yugi to see all the sides of his other half. Those that are loving, as well as those that are dangerous.
1. Chapter 1

A/N~ Hope you like this one. This has been a long time coming..just didn't have the energy to write it down. Please review. Don't know if it going to be a short tiny little story or a long one yet. We'll see. I own nothing.

Mistake

Yugi quickly brushed away the tears that were streaming down his face. He cradled the pieces of his now broken millennium puzzle in his hands, sinking to his knees. "…mou hitori no boku." Yugi whispered, taking in a shuddering breath. "I didn't mean it." He stated. His hands began to tremble as he realized the extent of what he had done. It was as if a hand had reached into his chest and started squeezing tightly. Yugi broke down in a fit of sobs as he quickly put the pieces of his treasure on the desk. He could put it back together, that wasn't the problem.

"Yug?" A voice came from behind him. A gasp rang out in the room as Yugi slowly turned to see Jou standing in his bedroom doorway. The blonde looked shocked at his best friend's state. "What's goin' on?" He asked immediately.

Yugi didn't say anything, he turned back to his shattered dreams, lightly touching each of the golden pieces on his desk. Jou made his way over to his damaged friend, and this time a cry of shock escaping him. Yugi's eyes were blank as Jou asked him what happened. What did happen?

Flashback

"I do not understand, aibou." The former king said quietly. He stood, leaning against the furthest wall of Yugi's room. His arms were crossed in the normal fashion and the emotion on his face was about as legible as a two-year-old's writing. He watched as Yugi paced the room, attempting to clean the pigsty but found it impossible due to the buildup of his anger. "I have committed no crime against you. I sought to protect you and I did just that." He stated simply.

Yugi stopped what he was doing. "Protect me?" He attempted not to shout. "Mou Hitori no Boku, you made him go insane! Everyone saw you—me!" Yugi exclaimed. He was so frustrated with his other self. Yugi collapsed onto his bed, breathing heavily. He reached down and took hold of his most prized possession. Yugi sat up and amethyst met crimson, "You don't understand. When you take over people don't understand that it isn't me anymore. When you…" Yugi searched for the right words, "…play with people, and they lose, everyone sees what happens to them. They go crazy!"

Yami straightened and narrowed his eyes, "They deserve their punishment." He snarled.

"No they don't!" Yugi couldn't help but shout this time. "Just because someone shove me into a locker or hits me doesn't give you the right to play with their lives!" He reasoned. If only his other half could understand.

The cursed spirit could sense his partner's anger and started to channel it unintentionally. He furrowed his brow and uncrossed his arms, balling his hands into fists. "No one is to ever lay a hand on you, hikari." He growled, replacing Yugi's usually nick name with one he only used when upset. "For even if you choose to dislike me for all eternity, I will not stop protecting you."

Yugi stood suddenly, "You can't protect me from everything. How am I suppose to learn to stand up for myself if you keep mind crushing anyone who picks a fight with me?" Yugi tried. His hand removed the puzzle from around his neck. "People think I'm some kind of freak." He stated more quietly, shaking the item to show his point. "Someone hits me, and suddenly I get mean."

The former king blinked at the adjective. "Mean? How do I illustrate…mean?" He asked, irritation dripping in his words. His aibou never took the puzzle off during a conversation. "I don't understand what concerns you so."

"You make people go insane!" Yugi screamed. "And people think I'm the one doing it."

The spirit let a growl loose. "I will allow no harm to come to you! By the power of the kings of Egypt, I will assure that---,"

"You're not king anymore!" Yugi screamed, tears welling up in his eyes. "So stop acting like it!" Yugi breathed heavily as he swallowed hard at the visible hurt look in his other half's eyes. He couldn't stop, he just let everything go. "You act as if a wave of your hand will fix everything and no one will challenge you! You're wrong! You're not king anymore! Start acting like you're just like the rest of us."

Anger now flashed violently in crimson eyes. "I may no longer rule Egypt but like it or not, no one challenges me."

Yugi allowed more tears to run down his face. He couldn't believe he was fighting with Mou Hitori no Boku, his other half, his soul mate. They never fault like this before, argue maybe, disagree, many times, but they never yelled like this. "No one challenges you because everyone is afraid of you." Yugi said, gripped the chain to his treasure tightly.

The spirit crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "No one has no fear when facing a king."

Yugi shook his head, "That's not why they are afraid of you." He confessed, turning his back on his other self. He didn't want his other half to see his tears anymore. After a moment of aching silence, Yugi continued, "People are scared of you because of…you. You show nothing. No emotion can be read when looking at you."

The spirit gazed at the floor. He remained silent but inside, a monster was turning.

"All you ever show is anger. And honestly," Yugi paused, considering not spilling but he had gone too far to turn back now. "Honestly, that is all I am beginning to see in you." Yugi felt it. Anger, hatred, sorrow, and shame leaked in from their link and Yugi openly winced.

"Anger…" Mou Hitori no Boku repeated carefully. Yugi couldn't determine what his other half was thinking so he waited. "Anger." He repeated. "That is all you see in me? Are you blind?!" He yelled.

Yugi whirled around in fear. Crimson eyes were mere inches from his own amethyst, and they were one fire. Yugi never saw his other self sp anger with him before. What had he done? "Mou Hitori no Boku…I--,"

The spirit gripped Yugi's shoulders tightly. "I will not harm you for I swore the day you solved the puzzle that I shall protect you from any danger." He assured Yugi, his voice dangerously low. "But you have no right to say such things. You don't know me."

Yugi pushed him away, "And you don't know me!" He shouted, half in fear and half in anger. "You don't let me in so I don't let you in! Why are you doing this to me?!" Yugi screamed.

The former king growled, "Doing this to you? Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" He snarled. "How dare you…."

He approached Yugi fiercely, making amethyst eyes widen in fear. Yugi was afraid. Fiery crimson eyes narrowed on him, and the spirit's arms were extended towards him. Yugi whirled around completely to face his once protector, forgetting what his hand was holding to. Yugi let go of the chain that kept the puzzle connected to him. Yugi and his other half both turned and watched in horror at the slow action. Like a horror film he couldn't escape, Yugi watched as his puzzle hit the wall closest to him and shattered. Golden pieces fell to the floor, each clink Yugi heard adding to the agony in his heart. He turned to give his other half a desperate apology but he wasn't there. How could he be?

End of Flashback

Yugi cried into his hands as Jou rubbed his back. "It's alright, pal. Its going to be okay. He'll forgive you."

Yugi shook his head and sobbed harder. He wiped his tears away and picked up a few pieces, putting them together. "He was so mad at me Jou. And I was so mean!" He admitted. That was what broke his heart even more than anything. He had told his yami that he had no other emotions but anger. How could he? "I'm sorry, Mou Hitori no Boku"

Jou watched his best friend with uncertainty. "What can I do?" He asked.

Yugi shrugged, another sob escaping his throat. "I need time to put the puzzle back together." He said. Jou nodded and started to walk out of the room. "I'll call you." Yugi called after him.

"Hey, pal." Jou said, turning around to give Yugi one last smile. "If I know your other self well enough, he's just as sorry as you are." Jou encouraged.

Yugi nodded and watched Jou leave. His clouded amethyst eyes looked down at the golden prize. His other half was trapped again, and even if he hated him forever, Yugi would solve the puzzle. Click. A piece clicked into place. He could almost feel closer to his other self. Click. Yugi shook his head as he placed the pieces back together. What had he been thinking? Why did he have to take the puzzle off to begin with?

Click, Click, Click. More and more pieces went into place. _I want to know what he is thinking_, Yugi thought. I want to know him better_. I just…_Click, two pieces left. _I just wish that…._ Click. One more piece. Yugi put it into place. _I just wish I could see all of him, not just the surface._

A flash of light made Yugi close his eyes tight. He was ready to face his other half no matter what. This was his fault and he would talk it out with his other half. "Mou Hitori no Boku, I'm really sorr--," Yugi didn't get to finish. Arms were suddenly around his middle, wrapping tightly around him. Yugi fell over and when he regained his bearings, he looked down. "Mou Hitori no Boku?" His other half was holding his tightly. Fear gripped Yugi's heart. _Oh god, what have I done? He's hurt!_ Yugi thought desperately. [Mou Hitori no Boku?] Yugi said through their link.

Shock coursed through the teen's system as the former king looked up at him, a smile planted on his face. "I missed you, aibou!" he said, his voice light and happy.

Yugi couldn't respond. He starred into his other half's eyes.

The spirit sat up, "What are you starring at?" He asked cheerfully.

Yugi pointed at him, "Your..Y-your eyes." He stated.

The former king continued to smile, "What about them?"

Yugi starred in disbelief, "They're…pink."

It was true. His eyes color was no longer that deep crimson, but a light pink color. Yugi couldn't help but stare as the former king wrapped his arms about his hikari and smiled. "Well of course they are. My eyes are always that color, silly!" He smiled, hugging the very confused teen. He suddenly pushed Yugi away and stood, "I have so much to do! I have to find the others!" He said excitedly.

Excitedly, he was excited. Yugi starred in disbelief as his other self disappeared back into the puzzle. Yugi picked it up and examined it closely. "Mou Hitori no Boku, what happened to you?" He asked.

TBC

A/N~ The first personality makes an appearance. Very interesting. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N~ I know I haven't updated this for a while. It isn't that I have lost interest in it, its just that I haven't had a certain plot outlined yet. Thank Hikari Kame for making me update.

Chapter 2

_"Whoa, whoa, buddy! Slow down! Now what happened exactly?"_

Yugi took a deep breath has he tried to explain it again. "I don't know exactly. I solved the puzzle again and Mou Hitori no Boku was different."

_"What do ya mean, different?"_

Yugi shook his head and looked over his shoulder to where the puzzle rested on the bed. It didn't look any different. Yugi had thought maybe he didn't solve it correctly and that was why his other self was acting so strangely. He laughed at the idea of the puzzle being able to be solved in more ways than one. Turning his attention back to the phone and sighing, he answered, "Just as I said Jou, he was acting strange. He was….clingy, and his eyes were a different color."

_"Don't go near dat thing, Yug. I'm comin' back over. You wait dere until I get there and we can figure this out together."_

Yugi bit his lip. "He isn't dangerous, Jou. He is just not the same person anymore." Tears welled up in his eyes. "It's all my fault Jou. Something must have happened to him when he was trapped, when I shattered the puzzle." Yugi took a shaky breath as he tried to organize his thoughts.

Another more frightening idea popped into his head. What if he was going insane? The millennium puzzle had been known to make those who were unworthy to hold the treasure go insane after they solved it. Perhaps he was not worthy of helping the ancient spirit anymore. Maybe the gods thought he wasn't deserving of such a yami.

_"Yug, did ya hear me?"_

Yugi shook his head. "What?" The thought was crazy. His other self needed him and he needed his other half. No stupid argument could change that…right? "What is it, Jou?"

_"I'll be over in about fifteen minutes. Stay put until then, okay pal?"_

Yugi nodded. "Yeah." He said and hung up the phone. He slowly turned and stared at the treasure mocking him on his bed. He wanted to speak with his other so badly. Why was it he wasn't angry with him? Why were his eyes that color? Was it possible for spirit to possess another spirit? Yugi snickered at that thought and slowly sat on his bed.

Yugi picked up the treasure, against Jou's better judgment, and outlined the golden pieces with his finger. The small cracks in the puzzle never really caught his eyes as much as they did now. [Mou Hitori no Boku?] Yugi questioned through their link. He could feel it was open and could have sworn his other self was watching him closely. [Mou Hitori no Boku, are you okay?]

There was no response.

Yugi glanced over at the clock. Fifteen minutes was a long time. Maybe just a quick peek inside the puzzle would help him understand a little. Yugi, with treasure in hand, laid himself down on his bed. He closed his eyes and pressed his treasure to his heart.

It felt like a vacuum sucking out his very being and in a way, that wasn't far from the truth. Yugi never opened his eyes when he transported himself into the puzzle. All the lights and spinning always got him motion sick. When everything seemed to slow down, Yugi opened an eye.

The spirit's open door was the only thing that the hikari noticed in the long and dark hallway. The open door behind him filled itself with toys and other gadgets from throughout his life. The hallway extended on forever in the darkness. It had neither beginning nor an end. Yugi had never actually proven that fact and never really wanted to without having his other self accompany him.

Yugi peered into the spirit's mind, looking for the former king. Yugi didn't have to look far. His darkness had his back turned to him, his face turned to giant maze in front of them. "Mou Hitori no Boku**?" **Yugi questioned as he entered the room cautiously. "Are you okay?"

His other half didn't answer. Instead, he clenched his fists and growled slightly.

Yugi held back a gasp. He was angry, that much was clear. "Mou Hitori no Boku, I'm really sorry about---,"

"Sorry doesn't quite cover it this time, _hikari_" the spirit hissed, still not looking at Yugi.

Yugi felt his breath hitch in his throat. He looked away from his other's form, ashamed as the memories of what had happened only an hour ago reshaped in his mind. "I didn't mean it, Mou Hitori no Boku. I promise. I was just upset. I never want to trade you for anything…." He trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

The other continued to avoid the other's eyes.

"Please look at me, talk to me." Yugi pleaded.

The former king slowly turned to meet the gaze of those amethyst orbs. Yugi gasped and stepped back. The other smirked slightly, although rage was clearly evident on his features. After a few moments, the smirk faded and the other looked very annoyed. "What?" He demanded.

His eyes, his other half's eyes, they were no longer pink but a bright orange color. Yugi wasn't sure why but this color made him cringe more than the usual crimson color of his other's eyes ever did. Yugi almost swore he saw a fire burning in those rage-filled orbs. "M- Mou Hitori no Boku?" He stammered.

"What?"

Yugi blinked and swallowed. Why was he afraid? He had no reason to fear his other half right? Sure, the spirit was angry but if someone smashed Yugi's prison, Yugi was pretty sure he would be angry too. The best thing to do was to talk about it. Then they could put it behind them. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Why would you care?" Came the angry response.

"Of course I care, Mou Hitori no Boku. Why wouldn't I?" Yugi asked, startled.

The former pharaoh growled slightly and walked over to his light. He glanced down and took hold of the puzzle that was resting perfectly around the teen's neck. He traced the edges of his golden prison and growled again. His fiery eyes lifted to his light, "You could have destroyed me." He hissed.

"I'm sorry." Yugi whispered. He took hold of one of his other's hands and held it tightly. "It was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen."

"You could have destroyed me." His other repeated, this time, his voice harsher than ever. "Does that mean nothing to you?" He demanded, his voice increasing in loudness.

Yugi shook his head. "It means everything to me."

The spirit forced Yugi's hand off of his and shook his head in what Yugi thought resembled disgust. "You want me gone."

"That's not true!" Yugi practically shouted. He was getting tired of this. "What do you want me to do, Mou Hitori no Boku? What do I have to do before you'll believe that I am sorry?"

Orange met with amethyst. The darkness balled his hands into fists and started breathing heavily, scaring his other. "An hour ago it was me that had to prove myself. Nothing I said to you would calm you down. You honestly expect me to treat you differently?"

Yugi frowned, not wanting to remember their earlier fight. "That was different. You never said sorry."

"I shouldn't have had to." His darkness retorted.

"Why are you being so difficult? We had an argument, it happens! Normal friends have them all the time! Can we please put it behind us?"

The former king shrugged and turned away, walking in the opposite direction. "I suppose I should start acting normal, considering I'm not king anymore." He growled.

Yugi rolled his eyes in disbelief. "You're not."

The spirit turned and practically hissed, causing Yugi to jump back. "You keep reminding me."

Yugi blinked, "Is that what this is all about? Because I said you weren't king anymore?"

"No."

"Then what?!" Yugi yelled angrily. "Why are you so mad at me?"

Before the young one could blink, the spirit was already on him. The next thing Yugi knew, he was on the floor, his other half on top of him. "You want to know what I'm angry about?" He whispered, giving his other shivers. "You anger me."

"M- Mou Hitori no Boku…" Yugi stuttered, stopping his struggling and looking into those terrifying orange orbs. "What do you mean?" He practically whimpered. Did his darkness hate him that much?

The spirit did not answer directly. He let his hands travel to Yugi's neck and caressed it softly. "Do you have any idea how easy it would be for me to restrain you?" He asked, then closing his hand around the other's neck lightly, "To kill you?"

Yugi gasped, afraid to move. His other wanted him dead. Tears welled up in his eyes as he brought his hands to his neck and tried to pry the other's off.

Those fiery orange eyes never left Yugi's. "You frustrate me so. You know nothing of what is obvious. You have no idea who I am, what I have lived through." He growled, menace in his voice. "You have no right to place judgment upon me."

"Mou Hitori no Boku, please…." Yugi whimpered. His other's hand was wrapping tighter around his neck, practically cutting off his airway.

/Yug, wake up!/

Orange left amethyst and stared at his doorway. He let go of his hikari and moved off of him. The teen scrambled away from the spirit in absolute horror and fear. "I suggest you leave." His darkness advised him. "Before I force you to leave."

/Yug, please, open your eyes!/

Yugi stood and dashed to his arm, slamming the door to his soul room and sobbing against it.

/Yugi, come back to us/

Yugi blinked his tears away. Anzu? Jou? What…. Yugi sighed. That's right. Jou was coming over. Had it been fifteen minutes already? Yugi closed his eyes and felt the familiar whoosh of his soul returning to his own body. When he opened his eyes, Jou, Anzu, and Honda were staring at him in absolute worry.

Immediately, Jou grabbed the puzzle and flung it across the room. "I told ya not to touch dat thing until I got here!"

Yugi said nothing and stared at his treasure lying awkwardly across the room. He sniffed slightly as tears ran down his face. "I told you, Jou. He hates me." Yugi admitted, not able to look into the eyes of his companions.

Anzu sat on his bed and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Your other self could never hate you, Yugi."

Yugi shook his head. "He does. He wanted to kill me."

"What?!" Honda and Jou shouted in unison.

"Well, maybe not kill me…but he was really angry." Yugi sobbed, drawing his knees up to his chest. "I just don't understand. How can he be so forgiving and then so angry? It doesn't make any sense."

Jou sat on Yugi's other side. "Listen, it will be okay. We'll figure this out."

Hand nodded in agreement. "Do you think something is wrong with your other self? I mean, if he is having split personality issues, maybe we should call someone who knows more about millennium items than we do."

"Marik and Isis?" Anzu asked, removing her hand from Yugi's shoulder. "He has a point. They know more about the pharaoh than he knows about himself, and the millennium items. Maybe we should give them a try."

Yugi nodded. Jou took out his cell phone and handed it to Yugi. "His number is in there. I left in it there in case of emergency. Guess I was right for once." He laughed but quieted down when no one else joined him. Yugi gave him an apologetic look. He just wasn't in the mood to laugh. Not when his other was acting so strangely.

Finding his friend's number, Yugi waited for it to ring as he wiped his face of the remaining tears. He had to stay strong for his other half. Whatever was wrong with him, he would find the answer and fix it. Looking at the clock he added, "Are you sure it's not too late to call them."

Jou shrugged. "You live underground….how would they have a sense of time?"

Yugi blinked in agreement as he listened for an answer.

Anzu got up and slowly approached Yugi's treasure. She picked it up and walked back to Yugi. She held it out for him to take and after a moment of hesitation, Yugi grabbed it and held it close to his heart.

"Hello?"

"Marik?" Yugi asked, knowing it was him anyway.

"Yugi? Hey what's up?! I haven't heard from you guys in so long? How is everyone?"

"Not so good." Yugi admitted.

Marik's voice changed slightly. "What's wrong? Something happen to the pharaoh?"

"I don't know." Yugi admitted and explained his side of the story. "Do you have any ideas?" He asked at the end of the explanation.

Marik was silent for a few moments. "Yugi, Isis and I are getting the next flight there. Whatever you do, be careful. We'll explain everything when we get there." He said, before hanging up.

Yugi moved the phone away from his ear and stared at it blankly. He hung it up and gave it back to Jou. "Well, what did he say?" Jou asked.

"He is coming here." Yugi said. "He said--,"

Before Yugi could finish his sentence, he felt his soul being torn from his body and into the puzzle. Yugi felt like he was going to throw up as the lights and the spinning made his stomach clench uncomfortably. When he blinked, he was standing in their hallway again, facing his own door.

"A-Aibou?" A careful and timid call came from inside** his** room.

Yugi blinked at the sudden darkness, his eyes adjusting to the light. He drew in a breath when he saw his darkness standing in his doorway, holding on tightly to the frame, as if his life depended on it. "Mou Hitori no Boku?"

The spirit lifted his eyes and Yugi half expected what he saw. Sorrow and tear filled blue eyes stared back at him.

A/N~ Okay, personality two made an appearance and three starts the end. Whoohoo! Wonder what is going to happen next! Please review and let me know what you think. Sorry for the mistakes.

Thanks for all those who have reviewed already. This is in no particular order.

**Jisa**, numpinoop296, **alice456**, Natoya, **blackdemondragon**, Yaminisu, **Justme**, eemmaap, **bopolz-san,** Kyamato666, **Yamino Tenshi 202**, dragonlady222, **hikari kame**, yay for yaoi (love that by the way), **shadowrealm818**, falil11, and **Nocturne of shadows**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N~ Holy cow people are loving this story and I have no idea why. But hey, I am not complaining! Keep up with the reviews guys….they are seriously shocking me and keeping me alive in this dead world. I love you all so much…you know that right? I'd be nothing with you.

Whoa mushy…on with the chapter.

Chapter 3

Yugi could hear his friends from the other side of his door calling out to him in alarm. He would have paid more attention if it wasn't for the terrified look on his other half's face. Terror was not an emotion Yugi usually associated with his darkness. Sure, the spirit could be _terrifying_, but he himself was never terrified. Yugi bit his lip, not knowing what to do. He looked around, wondering what caused the fear he saw in those blue eyes. Seeing nothing, Yugi looked back, keeping his distance between them after their last encounter. "Mou Hitori no Boku, what is it?"

The other said nothing but just stared at his hikari, tears forming in his eyes. He clung to the doorway of Yugi's soul room with all his might, afraid to let go.

The young hikari felt a lump in his throat as a single tear ran down the former king's proud face. Was this a trap? Yugi took a cautious step towards him. "What's wrong, Mou Hitori no Boku? Are you hurt?" He asked, checking the spirit over with his eyes.

The former king turned when the calls of his friends grew louder. Timidly, the king returned his ice blue eyes back to his savior and took a shaky breath. "Don't go." He whispered, barely audible by Yugi.

"What?" Yugi whispered back.

His yami clutched the doorframe tighter and closed his eyes. Shaking his head back and forth sadly, allowing more tears to run down his cheeks, he whispered over and over again, "Please don't go."

Yugi swallowed hard. He took a deep breath and tried to organize his thoughts. Basically the details didn't matter, what mattered was that his darkness, his other half was in need of some serious help. The gods had chosen Yugi to keep the man sane and that was just what Yugi had to do in this moment. "I won't go."

His other didn't wait any longer before he hurled himself at his hikari, wrapping his arms tightly around the teen's waist and practically dragging him to the floor. The once proud king buried his face into Yugi's chest and sobbed.

Yugi felt like crying himself. The emotions his other was feeling was pouring through their link and practically choking the light. What was happening to his darkness? The teen didn't know but whatever it was, it was bad. No, it was more than bad, it was terrible. Yugi clasped tightly the shaking man in his arms and tried to settle him down. The hikari knew it was pointless. His yami would not calm down until he was calm down. Their emotions were intertwined and it was futile to try to relax the spirit if Yugi didn't try to remain calm as well. "Mou Hitori no Boku?" Yugi questioned.

The man's arms tightened around his waist as he looked up. "I thought they took you away from me."

Yugi looked confused. "Who?" he asked.

His other shuddered when Yugi heard his friends cry out to him again. "Them." He whimpered.

Yugi gasped. His friends! Yugi took a deep breath and struggled to his knees, the spirit still clasping onto him tightly. With gentle hands, Yugi pried the man off him and placed his hands on his shoulders. "I have to go back." Yugi said sternly.

"No!" The spirit cried, before latching himself back onto his light, practically suffocating his poor hikari.

"M- Mou Hitori no Boku" Yugi choked out before prying the man's arms off him again. "It's okay. I'll come back. They're worried to death about me and about you. I have to let them know everything is okay. Then, I swear, I'll come back." Yugi explained.

His other allowed another tear to fall down his face. "You promise?" He asked in a childish tone.

"I promise." Yugi stated before standing and walking to his door.

His other followed on his knees, holding onto Yugi's doorway again. "Please don't shut it. I don't want you to shut it. I want to sense you are there." He whispered, almost shaking. "I- I don't want to go back in there." He said.

Yugi nodded and kneeled on the floor. "Stay here. I'll be right back for you." He stated, placing his hand on the spirit's shoulder and giving him a sincere smile. "Just wait here."

When the former king nodded, Yugi closed his eyes and sighed, allowing his soul to reenter his body again. He opened his eyes to see an extremely pissed of Jou, a hysterical Anzu, and a frustrated Honda. Yugi sat up slowly and ignored the spinning feeling his head got caught in. Jou was the first to speak. "You're not touching this thing until Marik gets here." He stated before trying to pry the millennium puzzle out of Yugi's hands.

"No!" Yugi shouted in unison with the spirit in his mind. Jou stopped and looked confused. Yugi sighed and closed his eyes. "Guys, I don't know what is going on. But I have to figure it out. Something is really wrong with Mou Hitori no Boku and it is my job to help him."

Honda shook his head. "That guy is dangerous Yugi. You were just telling us that he wanted to kill you!"

Yugi nodded. "I know. He did then and now he is afraid that I'll leave him." Yugi gazed at the puzzle and held it tightly, trying to pass on some strength to his other half, though it didn't seem to be working. He lifted his gaze to his friends. "Trust me guys, I have to help him. I'll come back as soon as I can."

"Yugi, are you sure?" Anzu asked, timidly. "What if…" She trailed off.

Yugi laid back down on his bed and looked at her in alarm. He already knew what she was going to say but he couldn't stop the words from leaving his lips anyway, "What if what, Anzu?"

Jou cleared his throat. "What if he doesn't let you come back?"

Yugi shook his head. "Don't worry about it. He won't hurt me." At least Yugi didn't think so. His other self could be mean at times but Yugi was sure that his word never to harm Yugi was true, right? Yugi gulped slightly, ready to face his terrified other half.

Once his eyes were open, Yugi carefully gazed around the walls of his soul. He spotted his other self sitting in the corner in the room. He was sitting in a position Yugi usually sat in, knees drawn up to the chest, arms tightly around them. "Mou Hitori no Boku?" Yugi questioned, afraid that the man's eyes would reveal a different color.

The man revealed a tear stained face to Yugi, who let out a sigh of almost relief. He looked back at the ground as Yugi approached him. "You don't believe them, right?" He asked a sob close to escaping his mouth.

Yugi sat next to his other and bit his lip before answering. "No."

Blue eyes centered on him as fresh tears made their way down his face. "Good, because I would never hurt you, ever! Not on purpose anyway." The spirit began to fidget with the hem of his pants as he blabbered on, "I never mean to hurt you. It just seems like sometimes I can't control myself. I try to do the right thing but it always seems to escape me. I mean, I have the power to hurt you and every one of our friends. I don't want to but what if one day I loose control and--,"

Yugi couldn't take anymore. This was so out of character for his protector. Yugi placed a finger on his other's lip, silencing him. "It's okay." He said, confidently.

"No." The other whimpered, leaning against Yugi, allowing the hikari to pull him in his arms. "It's not okay. It's never okay. You hate me." He stated.

"What?!" Yugi shouted, tightening his embrace on the spirit. "I could never hate you!"

"They took the puzzle away from you. You don't want me anymore. You're going to let them take me again." The spirit whispered, quivering in the young one's arms.

"Mou Hitori no Boku, my friends won't take the puzzle away--,"

"Not them." His darkness whispered, then nodding out the door, "Them."

Yugi looked out the room to his soul. Blackness covered the door to his other's soul room. The shadows. "What are they doing?"

"They sense it." The former king whispered.

"Sense what?" Yugi whispered back, afraid as well.

"My demise." He ended.

Yugi pushed his other half into a sitting position, terror coursing through his veins. "What demise? Nothing is going to happen to you! You got that? Nothing! I'm here…and you're here. Just stay in my room and they can't get you! I won't let them!" Yugi tried to reason aloud. "I'll protect you."

"I should be the one protecting you." He whimpered, looking at the floor. "It should be me not you."

"Mou Hitori no Boku, please…" Yugi pleaded though he was unsure to what he was exactly pleading. "What do they want from you?" He asked, looking back at the darkening door.

The spirit looked timidly at the door and then back at amethyst. "They want me, just like before you solved the puzzle. I am not worthy of being here any longer." He stated, before shifting in his spot.

Yugi, for the first time, looked over the spirit carefully. His darkness had gashes in his shoulder that seeped blood. How could a spirit bleed? Yugi was freaking out now. Was it possible that the shadows had the power to kill a soul? Was his other half their next victim? "Mou Hitori no Boku, what happened to you?" Yugi demanded, fear grasping his heart. He placed his hand over the wounds and flinched when his darkness hissed in pain.

The spirit settled himself back into Yugi's arms and sobbed softly. "You don't believe anymore so they want me gone. They are going to take me away from you."

"No!" Yugi shouted, tightening his hold on his darkness. "I won't let them! I believe! I believe in you!" Yugi stated, pressing his forehead on the back of his yami's head. "I believe!" He repeated over and over again.

"No." His darkness whispered. "You don't anymore. You think I'm evil. You think the things I do are evil."

"You're wrong." Yugi cried desperately, tears of his own making wet paths down his face. "You couldn't be more wrong. I don't want you gone. Ever!" The teen cried.

His darkness looked up at him, their tears mixing as the former king pressed their forehead together. "I don't want to go."

Yugi opened his eyes and stared at the ice blue. "Then don't. Whatever this is, we can figure it out together. I promise. We just have to believe in each other." Yugi whispered.

The former king remained silent for a moment before looking at his hands, "Aibou, what's happening to me?" He sobbed, grabbing a fist of Yugi's shirt and trying to hide in it. "What is wrong with me?"

Yugi stared, completely baffled. "I have no idea." He whispered. He took his thumb and wiped away the spirit's tears. "but I promise, I'll figure it out. I'll save you." He whispered, giving comfort to the other. "You just have to trust me. You have to calm down."

"I can't. That isn't who I am. It isn't in me to be calm."

Yugi frowned at the statement but said nothing. He held the sobbing man in his arms the way his other used to hold him after a nightmare. "It will be okay. I will make it okay." Yugi declared to the shuddering man holding him so closely.

A/N~ TBC….. whoa. I know Yami was so sad and childish in this chapter. The next chapter will be better. I promise. Thanks for all the support you guys! I really do love you all! Here are the thank yous!

Mana, **Ivory Jade 6669**, Junst-ME-and-no-one-else, **Natoya**, shadyatem, **Ceilo**, Yizuki, **alice456**, Shadowrealm818, **tavia454**, dragonlady222, **Sakura angel dark**, eemmaap, **blackdemondragon**, TIGGI1, nupinoop296, SilverDragon-Purity, **Hikari Kame**, Valkyria Raven, **Suma Amora**, A Perplexing Puzzle, **HikariTenshoYamiTenshi**, and cathrine. _**Thanks so much! I love you all!**_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N~ I know the last chapter was kind of awkward so I'll make this one a little better. Hope you enjoy. I don't own this manga/anime.

Chapter 4

Jou shook his head. "I don't know, Yug." He argued. "This doesn't seem like a safe idea. Can't you just wait until Marik and Isis get here? Whatever they have to tell us will probably help the pharaoh."

Yugi shook his head. "I don't care. Mou Hitori no Boku needs me and I'm not going to abandon him." He explained, staring at the puzzle in his hands. He had left his mind and had wandered out to the real world after telling his other self to remain in that room. It was a painful goodbye but Yugi had to try to figure out what was going on. It was hard to do with his darkness clinging onto him.

"I think Jou is right." Honda agreed, "I don't think that you should go back in there alone."

Yugi stared at the puzzle, tracing the cracks of it and thinking. His other self was a lot like this puzzle now. He was once complete but now it would seem that his emotional states were somewhat…separate. Yugi bit his lip, realizing he was onto something. "His eyes." Yugi stated.

Anzu sat next to him on the bed. "What about them?"

Yugi looked up for the first time and reasoned aloud, "His eyes were a different color every time he showed a different emotion." Yugi explained. "It's obvious that Mou Hitori no Boku's emotional states aren't all together anymore. They seem to be all over the place, never one."

"You lost me." Jou stated, crossing his arms. "What does that have to do with his eye color?"

Yugi shrugged. "Maybe that is the puzzle's way of showing me the different emotional states he experiences." Yugi stood and walked over to his desk, taking out a pen and a pad of paper. Jou, getting the idea stood next to his best friend and watched. Yugi looked up at him, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Jou nodded, "You're going to write down his emotions with the eye color?"

Yugi nodded and sat back down on the bed. "Now, when I first saw him after I solved the puzzle, his eyes were pink." Anzu raised an eyebrow and Yugi shrugged, writing it down. "Mou Hitori no Boku seemed happy but I didn't really see him long enough to get an emotion from that." Yugi bit his lip in disappointment.

Honda took a seat on Yugi's other side. "What else did you see?"

Yugi frowned in remembrance. "Well, Mou Hitori no Boku got really angry with me right before you guys showed up. His eyes were orange." He stated, writing down that orange equaled anger. "And then I just saw blue eyes and Mou Hitori no Boku couldn't stop crying or shaking." Yugi added, writing down blue meant fear and sadness.

Jou leaned against the wall, "That's all you have seen so far?"

"Yeah." Yugi answered. "But there has to be more. What are other major personality traits?"

Anzu stared at the floor, thinking for a moment. "Well, it is kinda hard to say. Everyone has a different personality. I don't think we can really narrow it down unless we are with him." She stated.

Yugi nodded in understanding. It was true that everyone was different. Yugi didn't even know that his other self felt fear or sadness. If he hadn't seen his other self in that condition just a few minutes ago, he wouldn't have added it to the list as a potential emotion.

Honda growled in aggravation. "Wow, this man is completely unstable. What happened?"

Yugi felt tears sting his eyes. "I don't know. All I know is that when we were arguing about his actions, he was fine. But then I shattered the puzzle. I didn't mean to! It was an accident!"

Anzu nodded. "We know Yugi."

Yugi blinked and grabbed his treasure once again. "When I solved it again, he was all different. Mou Hitori no Boku seems to just be pieces of his normal self." Yugi stood immediately, knocking the notebook and pen off his lap, "That is all the more reason to go back so I can see what other pieces I am missing."

Jou shook his head, "You're not going alone."

Honda agreed and before Yugi could do anything, he removed the puzzle from around Yugi's neck. Yugi started to panic when he felt his other self's presence panic and then suddenly disappear. "No! Give it back!" He screamed, yanking at the chain when Honda held the puzzle high.

Anzu was angry, "Give it back, Honda. We aren't in junior high anymore."

Yugi eagerly excepted the puzzle back and held it tightly, ready to calm his other self down again. Yugi blinked in shock and fear when he couldn't sense his other half in his room anymore. He looked up in terror. His other self must have gone back into the puzzle. The shadows! Yugi lay back on his bed and closed his eyes only to be jolted upwards by Jou. "Leave me alone!" Yugi said angrily.

Jou shook his head. "Take us with you." He stated firmly.

Yugi blinked sitting back up and looked at his closest friends in all the world. "I don't know if I can bring all of you. I only brought one person into the puzzle at a time before."

Honda nodded, "Okay, then bring Jou."

Jou nodded.

Yugi looked around at the others, "Are you sure?"

Anzu stood and stretched. "Jou can protect you if your other self….acts out again." She explained trying to think of the right words to use. The she winked, saying "Besides, we need some one here to keep an eye on your two and wake you up when Isis and Marik get here."

Yugi sighed as Jou laid down next to him. "Oh wait!" Yugi exclaimed before jumping up and running to the bathroom. He grabbed a handful of wrappings and hoped he could take them with them so address his darkness's wounds.

Yugi bolted back out to his room and sat next to Jou. Yugi took his hand and told his best friends to concentrate. The next thing he knew, Jou was laying on the floor of his soul room, gasping for air. He looked up at Yugi with a slight green tint on his face, "How da hell do you deal wit this sort of travel?" He exclaimed.

Yugi shrugged and looked about his room. There was no sign of his darkness anywhere. Hurriedly, with Jou protesting behind him, Yugi bolted out of his room and towards his other's soul room. The door was still black with the shadows, worrying Yugi.

"What da hell is that?"

Yugi looked at him with a serious look on his face, "The shadows. They're after Mou Hitori no Boku. It's not safe for him to be in his room right now. I don't know why he left." Yugi explained nervously as he grasped the very cold door knob to his other's room. Slowly he pulled it open. "Mou Hitori no Boku?" He shouted immediately.

Jou and Yugi walked into the room, shivering at the fact that it was colder than normal. The maze of his other's mind was never ending. Jou gasped in surprise, "No wonder we don't come here often. Is this the only door that we can escape out of?"

"Yeah." Yugi answered, looking around for his other half. "Mou Hitori no Boku, where are you?" Yugi shouted. He could sense his other, but he still couldn't see him. Was he okay? He wasn't sensing fear from his other half anymore and Yugi wasn't too sure if that was a good sign.

"Hey Pharaoh, ya in here?" Jou shouted, hoping to find the former king quickly.

Yugi blinked when he was suddenly lifted off the ground. He turned with a gasp and looked behind him to see bright crayon yellow eyes staring back at him along with a big smile. "Hiya!" His other whispered in him.

Jou sprang into action, thinking the former king was attacking his pal. He pried Yugi out of the crushing hug his darkness was giving him and pushed Yugi behind him. Yugi blinked when he saw his darkness start laughing at Jou's actions. Jou looked at the spirit carefully and back at Yugi. "Well, he doesn't seem too dangerous with that stuff all over his face."

It took Yugi a moment to realize what Jou was talking about. His other half had Kuriboh stickers all over his face and arms. There was probably about fifty of them stuck to his skin. Yugi stepped out from behind Jou, for some reason, feeling very happy. He choked back a smile at his other's funny form, "Why are you here, Mou Hitori no Boku? I thought I told you to stay in my room." He asked, looking at the gash marks in his other's arm.

His other wouldn't stop beaming at him. "It's okay!" He exclaimed happily. "I just wanted to give you some space."

Yugi walked up to him and started pulling his black shirt over his shoulder to get a better look at the wounds in his darkness's shirt. Yugi grimaced when he saw the claws marks and looked around, "Have they tried to hurt you again?" He inquired.

"Nope!" The spirit answered a little too enthused. Yugi removed a few Kuriboh stickers and looked up at his darkness in wonder. The spirit chuckled. "Sorry, hikari. I saw them in your room and I thought they were so cute. I couldn't resist. They made me laugh." He explained, giving another casual laugh.

Yugi looked back at Jou who was staring at the man in pure surprise. His eyes settled on amethyst as he shook his head. "What in the name of the gods happened to him?"

Yugi shook his head, "Like I said, major mood swings."

"Look at his eyes!" Jou exclaimed, pointing his finger.

"I know, Jou." Yugi sighed, starting to wrap up his other self's wounds.

His other half watched Yugi and held still as Yugi wrapped the wounds lightly and then pulled his shirt back down. Yami gave him a tiny hug and smiled at him, "You shouldn't have done that, little one. I would have been okay."

"Well, just in case…" Yugi stated, giving an awkward hug back.

"You are far too good to me, my light." The former king said before skipping off.

Jou looked after him and then back at Yugi. "We should follow him and make sure he doesn't hurt himself." He stated before running after Yugi's other. Yugi followed best he could but his darkness was gone in a matter of seconds. Jou looked around the maze wildly, trying to find a sign of the spirit. "Hey! Get back here!" Jou shouted but no one came back.

Yugi sighed and looked about. "He couldn't have gone far." Yugi stated and looked at the door. "Maybe he went through one of the doors." Yugi reasoned before heading towards a door.

"Um…Yug, is that a good idea?" Jou asked nervously as Yugi started to open the door.

Before Yugi could really think about Jou's argument, he opened the door fully and peaked inside. When he saw nothing through the darkness, he started to walk into the room. Big mistake. Yugi suddenly felt the floor shaking under him. He turned quickly to run in the opposite direction but the floor fell out from under him. He was falling before he quickly grabbed the edge of the floor. Yugi looked down in panic as he saw pieces of the floor falling into absolutely nothingness.

Jou tried to rush to his friend's aid but before he could make it through the doorway, the door slammed shut on him.

Yugi heard a few pounds come from the other side of the door before silence. He knew that Yami's mind had a way of reconstructing itself in times of danger. Jou was of no help to him now. Did his other half view him as a danger now?

The hikari didn't want to think of the answer as he tried to lift himself up and over the ledge. He was almost there when he felt his arm give out. With a cry of terror, Yugi fell back into the floor, holding on by a mere hand. He could feel his finger tips starting to slip and cried out the first name that came to his mind. "Mou Hitori no Boku!"

A/N~ Ha…Ha! I'm mean.

Big thanks to: Cathrine, Ivory Jade 6669, XLight ForeverX, dragonlady222, Dinogirl, Suma Amoru, Yizuki, TIGGI1, Yami-no-Tamashii, MysticalElfGirl, Just-ME-and-no-one-else, Natoya, shadowrealm818, tavia454, nupinoop296, tinkletimekelly, blackdemondragon, Ceilo, SilverDragon-Purity, Hikari Kame, Valkyria Raven, HikariTenshiYamiTenshi, and eemmaap for the very kind reviews and laughs you gave me. You guys mean the world to me!

Review?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N~ Sorry it took a while to put this one up. I was trying hard to fulfill the plot for the rest of the story. I got one down now. I hope you like the chapter.

Disclaimer~ I don't own YGO

Chapter 5- Prophecy

Yugi gripped the edge of the floor harder, trying to get a firm hold so he could bring up his other hand. His legs flailed slightly, even though he knew if he calmed himself down a little more, they would stop moving and saving himself would be easier. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down but as he calmed the hand, holding his life in the balance, started to slip. "Mou Hitori no Boku!" Yugi shouted again. "Help!"

Tears started to form in his eyes as the hand holding him started to numb up. He felt each of his fingers starting to grow closer to the edge. Yugi closed his eyes as he faced the truth head on, this was it. This was how he was going to die.

"Aibou!"

At the frightened shout, Yugi looked up sharply with a gasp and almost cried out when he saw his startled other half standing above him. Yugi glanced at the eye color as a hand grabbed his painfully numb one and started pulling him up. His other's eye color was much like his own, but a little brighter, maybe a lavender? Concern was evident in his other's features as his darkness pulled his form above the hole in the floor.

Yugi collapsed against his other and started shaking uncontrollably. He panted as he clutched his other as his arms shook like building during an earthquake. _It's okay. He saved me, I'm okay._ Yugi repeated to himself over and over again as he tried to calm down.

"Aibou?" A concerned dark asked, holding Yugi tightly. "Are you alright? Are you injured?"

Yugi took one last deep breath and let his other half breath for the first time. "Yes. I think I'm okay." He said, looking at his pulsing hand. Yugi looked back at the floor, staring at the darkness that could have easily been his grave. "You saved me." He smiled, looking back at his other.

"Hm." The spirit said and stood, pulling Yugi up by the arm with him. He walked around Yugi, checking everywhere to make sure the teen was not hurt. "You are sure that you are okay?"

Yugi nodded and smiled. "I'm okay. Just scared me was all."

The spirit growled and turned his attention to the hole in the floor. "You shouldn't have come here. This is not a safe haven for you, young one." He said, and placed an arm around his other's shoulder. "But fear not. I am here and because so nothing more will happen to you."

Yugi smiled, feeling a little better. "I believe you." He exclaimed and looked a little more closely at the former king. His outfit was different. Yugi blinked and moved away from his darkness, examining him closely. Did all the personalities have something different on? If they did, Yugi would have never noticed if they were something a sane person would wear, but this outfit was definitely….different. "Mou Hitori no Boku….what are you wearing?"

It was an outfit that was more settled for the middle ages. The lavender eyed man wore all black, tight leather with chains and belt all over. Yugi blushed slightly at the image but then forgot about it when his eyes came to the sword settled in a sheath at the man's side.

"What do you mean, what am I wearing? Is this not what I always wear?" The spirit posed blankly.

Yugi gave off a timid smile. "Okay." He turned for the door, "I have to find Jou. I think he probably had a heart attack trying to get to me. Can you help me find him?" Yugi asked but stopped his walking when the spirit's hand wrapped around his wrist and brought him back. Yugi blinked when his eyes met with his other's chest. Blushing, he lifted his eyes to see his protector gazing around the darkness known as his mind. "Er… Mou Hitori no Boku? What are you doing?"

"It is not safe for you here." He replied, wrapping an arm around the teen and watching their boundaries carefully with his eyes. "I see it best if you stay close to my side as nothing will harm you."

Yugi shrugged, "If you say so." He said and gazed at the other as they began to walk towards the door, his darkness's arm still wrapped around his waist. What was this personality? This one seemed to behave a lot like how his other self used to act before this catastrophe. But exactly what made him so parallel?

His other turned sharply, pushing Yugi behind him at a sudden clamor. Yugi felt his heart race as he peered out from behind the former king to see that the noise heard was the floor repairing itself. Yugi sighed and his heart rate climbed down to a human level again. "Perhaps it would be wise to keep moving." His darkness pondered.

Yugi nodded and turned towards the door, or what he thought was the door. Yugi let out a gasp when he saw that the doorknob was gone. The door remained there but the knob had vanished. "Mou Hitori no Boku? What is going on?"

The former pharaoh turned and gasped loudly. He tried to grab hold of Yugi's arm but was too slow. Yugi watched in shock as the door turned black as night and shifted into something else, a creature of some sort. Yugi had no time to move before the shadow grabbed hold of him and tossed him across the room like a rag doll. "Aibou!" He heard his other shout and would have called out to him is he hadn't hit his head on the wall.

Yugi felt dizzy and tried to stand but fell down clumsily. What was going on? Yugi blinked and tried to focus his eyes to see the shadow creature, one his darkness probably had to put up with for millennia coming straight for him. Yugi didn't know what about it that startled him so. Perhaps it was the fact that the creature had no true physical form. It was simply a shadow that made growling sounds. It was unknown. That was what he feared the most.

"Aibou, move!" His other instructed and Yugi tried just that. The creature burred down on him but the young hikari moved to the right slightly, causing the creature to let out a harsh scream. The noise was so high and strident in pitch that Yugi had to cover his ears for fear they would start to bleed.

It was just the distraction the creature needed to get a hold of the teenager. Yugi let out a yell when the shadow grabbed hold of his leg. He could hear his other yelling at him as he ran their way but Yugi wasn't paying attention. A sudden pain coursed through him that he had never before felt in his life. The shadow games were a piece of cake compared to this. Yugi felt his back seize and his body grow rigid as his mouth opened to let out a silent scream.

The shadow was killing him. Yugi writhed and rolled over to the see his leg was turning black, colorless even. The pain was making him see dark spots and made his body refuse to move. He wanted to move. Re know he wanted to run as fast as he could over to his protector so he would be safe. Yugi gasped for air and closed his eyes, feeling death approach him for the second time within a few minutes.

As swiftly as the pain was there, it wore off. Yugi still gasped for air, his weakened form shuddering immensely. Yugi opened his eyes to see a white blade being slashed at the shadow. It writhed in pain as he just did and his darkness was fighting him off. Seeing this gave Yugi faith. _Please don't get hurt, Mou Hitori no Boku._ Yugi whispered in his mind.

The shadow suddenly swiped at the former king and grabbed him in a menacing hold. The former king let out a grunt of annoyance but not pain. Yugi gasped, trying to get to his feet but failing miserably. He collapsed to the ground and saw the shadow growling at the hold on his yami. _Please, Mou Hitori no Boku. You can do it. Make it go away. _Yugi encouraged, hoping his other could hear him.

The sword in his other self's hand blazed white and his other used all his energy to swipe at the creature. It hissed and growled before disappearing all together. His darkness dropped gracefully to the ground and hurried to his partner's side. "Aibou! Aibou, are you okay?" He questioned, forcing Yugi up and leaning him against the wall.

"Yeah." Yugi slurred. He blinked hard, trying to look at his other. "I …can't---,"

"It's okay. Give yourself a moment to calm down." He explained before looking down at Yugi's leg. It was back to color now and no longer hurt. Yugi smiled slightly, his protector had saved him again. Reading his mind, the other nodded firmly, "I will always save you, my light."

Yugi smiled weakly, already feeling better. He shivered at the coldness of the wall and his other immediately brought him closer. Yugi could have sworn he felt heat coming off the spirit but gasped when he saw more claw marks on his darkness. "Mou Hitori no Boku…" He whispered, taking a hand and trailing over the marks.

"I do not feel them." His other said.

"How can you not? They look painful." Yugi practically cried.

His other stood, bringing Yugi with him on unsettled feet. "I do not feel pain. If I did, I wouldn't be able to do what I do."

"What's that?"

His darkness lifted the glowing sword. "Protect you."

Yugi smiled, starting to understand this personality very well. "Why is it glowing like that?" He asked, changing the subject. He clung to his other's shoulder for support and watched at the cursed spirit gently rubbed the blade with one hand while steadying Yugi with the other.

"It glows in the presence of power and determination. Its power depends upon two things. The first being my determination to protect you, and the second being," He turned to Yugi, "Your faith in me. This is why it glows now."

"Oh." Yugi whispered in fascination, finally able to let go of his darkness and stand on his own. "Will that thing…..come back?"

"There will be others but I shall escort you to safety before dealing with them harshly." He growled. "They should know better than to touch what is mine."

Yugi blushed at his other's vocabulary but let it go. He had to find Jou before something like this happened to him as well. They walked to what was now really a door. Yugi hesitated and then moved aside so that his other could open the door. He still had his sword in his hand and carefully peered around the door.

"Yugi?!" Came a concerned yelled.

Yugi looked to see honey eyes staring at him in pure relief. "Hey, Jou! Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright! Are you?"

Yugi nodded as Jou came towards him with what Yugi could only assume was a bear hug. However, his darkness had other plans. He drew his sword to Jou's neck as he walked towards them, grabbing Yugi and pushing him behind him. "Mou Hitori no Boku! What is wrong with you?!" Yugi demanded even though he knew what was wrong.

"He intends to hurt you."

Yugi moved from behind his darkness and made him lower his sword from a very surprised Jou. "What da hell, man? I would never hurt Yug. You know dat!"

Yugi sighed and smiled at Jou then back at his over achieving darkness. "Sorry Jou." He apologized before looking at him. "Jou, meet another personality trait of my other self, Courage."

Jou sniffed smugly, "Don't forget over-protectiveness." He added, crossing his arms.

The former king looked Jou up and down. "You will tread cautiously around what is mine." He demanded and started towards the exit. "Now follow me." He demanded, grabbing Yugi as he walked by him and helping him to the exit.

"I'm sorry?" Jou asked, amused as he followed. He dropped it after Yugi gave him a pushing look. Jou shrugged as they approached the door. They could hear Anzu calling to them in a calm voice. "Gotta go, pharaoh. But we'll be back to fix ya."

Yugi watched as his darkness opened the door and then eyed Jou carefully. "We shall see. You protect Yugi while I am gone."

"Gone?" Yugi asked in alarm. "Where are you going?"

Jou grabbed his best friends arm and started to push him back to his own mind. "We have to go now, Yug. Before Tristan throws a fit and shatters your puzzle."

"But Jou." Yugi demanded and then turned back to his other half, "Mou Hitori no Boku, where are you going?"

"To fight the shadows." His darkness replied before charging back the way they came.

Yugi watched in fear as his darkness disappeared. "Wait! Mou Hitori no Boku, be careful!"

Jou smirked as he shut Yugi's door. "Cocky is he not?" He questioned and Yugi shrugged.

"I guess that goes with bravery." They closed their eyes and when they opened them, they were back in the comfort of Yugi's room. Tristan and Anzu were watching them closely. Yugi sat up slowly and smiled. "Is everything okay."

"Not exactly." Anzu said.

"What do ya mean?" Jou asked.

Tristan handed him the item he had been holding. It was Yugi's laptop with the webcam working. Yugi smiled when he saw Marik's friendly face on his computer screen. "Hey Marik!" Yugi exclaimed and settled down next to Jou to talk to his friend. "Where are you?"

"On a plane." Marik answered. "We are about two hours from you guys, but I had to make sure you weren't doing anything stupid."

Yugi frowned. "What's that suppose to mean?"

Marik cleared his throat and Isis sat down next to him. "How many personalities have you found?" She asked calmly.

Yugi blinked in surprise. "Do you guys know what is going on?" He inquired.

They both nodded.

After a few moments of silence Jou cleared his throat. "So? What's happening to our pal?" He asked. "Why aren't you guys telling us?"

"How many?" Isis repeated.

Yugi looked over at the pad of paper lying on his bed. He grabbed it and quickly wrote down that yellow was happy and lavender was courage. He counted and sighed. "I've only seen about five. Why?" He asked, staring into the computer screen. "What is happening to my other self?"

Marik and Isis looked at each other and whispered a few things that the webcam could not pick up. Finally they looked back at the screen and Marik sighed with uncertainty. "They told us when growing up that this was to happen. But during battle city, we didn't think it was possible with how close you two were."

"What are you talking about?" Jou asked, impatiently.

Anzu sighed, "Listen you two. Very closely. They already told us what is going on. Yugi, you're not going to like this but it looks like our first assumptions were true."

Yugi blinked before looking at Isis on the webcam. She opened her mouth and then closed it. Taking a deep breath, she tried again, "Yugi, your other self is a danger to you." Isis said tapping her fingers together.

Yugi shook his head. "No." He said. "He's not. He's doing okay."

Marik cleared his throat. "Yes, he is. If we are correct, only two more personalities will show before the prophecy is fulfilled." He explained.

Yugi was growing irritated. "Marik, stop talking in circles!" He demanded, "What prophecy? What is going to happen?"

Marik licked his lips and looked at his sister with fear. He said something back at them in his native language. Yugi was about to explode with rage. Why was everyone being so secretive? Just come out with it! Marik sensed Yugi's frustration and closed his eyes. "It means, **the pharaoh will kill his light**."

TBC

**Authors Note: Okay, someone told me I would get into trouble for thanking reviews in this part of my story so I am going to stop. The reason why I thank reviewers is that way other authors will check out their stories. I figure that if many authors like my story, maybe they themselves have written something of interest to more of my readers. They would see my thank you and then check out the pen name. So here is a note, reviewers, please check out other reviewers stories. It would make them very happy. Just click on the reviews button for this story and check out each others work. Don't forget to review the work too! Thank you. **


	6. Chapter 6

A/N~ Sorry it took so long for me to update. A lot of crap going on here. I will let you know that the updates will become slower since I now have a job and school is starting up in about 2 weeks. I'll try my hardest though. I won't give up on my stories. It isn't in my nature.

Disclaimer- I really have to say this every chapter? I don't own YGO….really. It was just as true the first time as it was the 100th.

Chapter 6

Marik sat in a chair in the game shop's kitchen, watching his companions very closely, especially Yugi. The elder couldn't blame the teen for his confusion. But of anyone else in that room, he understood what it was like to have a self destructive dark side that awaited his ultimate demise.

The Egyptian sighed and looked over at his sister who remained very quiet and watched the four teens sitting around the table just as carefully. It had been an entire fifteen minutes and no one had said a word. Marik cleared his throat. "Yugi? Are you okay?"

Jou looked over at Marik and frowned. "You just told him dat his other half has it out for 'im. Do ya think he is feelin' okay? How would you feel?" Jou criticized and looked over at his best friend. Yugi traced the edges of the puzzle with his forefinger and remained silent. His amethyst orbs held a blank emotion. "Yug?" Jou asked carefully.

Honda stared at the puzzle carefully. Turning to Marik, he asked, "Do you think it's a good idea to let him hold onto that thing?"

"Hm." Marik thought carefully. It wouldn't take long for the pharaoh to kill his lighter half if he really wanted to. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea for Yugi to hold onto the puzzle. It was too much contact at the moment. The Egyptian stood and walked over to Yugi. He knelt by his side and gently placed his hands on the chain binding Yugi and the puzzle together. "Yugi, I need to take this from you."

Snap.

"No!" Yugi shouted, closing his eyes tight and jolting sideways, causing Marik to loose grip on the chain. Marik allowed his hands to fall to his side while Yugi collected himself, holding his treasure so tightly that the others were sure he was going to shatter it again. "No. You can't take it away. He needs me." Yugi whispered, tracing the eye of Horus.

Anzu let out a long sigh. "Yugi." She said calmly and the teen looked up at her. "We aren't going to shatter it, we just don't want you touching it right now. It's not safe. _He's_ not safe." She explained.

Yugi shook his head. "If he needs me I won't be able to help him. I'm not taking that chance."

"Yugi, he is trying to kill you." Honda said quietly.

"No he isn't!" Yugi yelled standing up sharply and making the chair behind him fall to the ground with loud clatter. "My darkness would never try to kill me! I'm his light! I'm his other half! He can't exist without me! There has to be some sort of misunderstanding!" Yugi declared, still holding the puzzle tightly.

Marik stood and bit his lip. "Yugi I know this must be difficult for you but---,"

"Difficult?" Yugi questioned, "No. It's not. Because it's not true."

"Yugi." Isis spoke for the first time. "You have to understand that this isn't easy for any of use. The pharaoh is the last person on earth we would have expected to go rogue but these things happen. You have to face the fact that until he shows signs of sanity, we cannot allow him to go near you."

"You're not taking him away."

"We have to." Marik said.

"It wasn't a question." Yugi remarked, holding the puzzle tightly to his chest, almost to the point that it was cutting deep into him. "You are not laying a finger on my puzzle. This is my mess and I am going to clean it up."

Jou stood and placed his hands on top of Yugi's shoulders, causing the teen to jump and turn wildly. Jou held his hands up in his own defense. "Easy, pal. But Marik has a point d'ere. I mean, you almost died twice in dat thing."

"You almost died?" Isis asked, concerned greatly.

Yugi looked over at them. "Something is wrong with the puzzle. I think it is doing this to him."

"It tried to kill you?" Marik asked, with unease.

Yugi nodded. "When I was trying to find the other me, the floor opened up below me and I almost fell. Then a shadow ghoul attacked me." Yugi explained. "But none of that was my other self's doing. It's the puzzle."

Marik shrugged. "Either way, we can't allow you to keep that thing. It's too dangerous."

**/Listen to them, Aibou. It's for your own good./ **

Yugi's eyes widened at the words he heard his other half speak through their mind link. Yugi gasped. _**//**__**Mou Hitori no Boku?!//**_

**/Yes, Aibou?/**

_**//Are you okay?//**_Yugi asked, worriedly.

**/Yes, Aibou. I am well./** His lovely voice came into Yugi's mind, slightly calming Yugi's nerves. **/But I want you to listen to them, my partner. I know they mean to protect you and if separating us will keep you safe, then you have my permission to do so./**

_**//But// **_Yugi tried to protest. _**//But I don't want you gone. I want you to stay with me. What if the shadows attack you again? What if you need my help?//**_

**/Don't worry about me, little one/ **Yugi's other commented, sending warmth and comfort through their link. /**You spend far too much of your energy worrying for my sake. All that is important is that you are safe. My existence in your world would be nothing without you. Please do as they say./**

Yugi could feel tears welling up in his eyes. His other wanted to be away from him? Was Marik right?

Hearing Yugi's thought, the former king sent another wave of warmth and confidence Yugi's way. /**Please don't be upset, my little one. I only wish for your safety. We will be together again. But I do not trust myself at this time to keep you safe./**

Yugi took a deep breath, blinking the tears away and looking up at his concerned companions. "He wants me to give you the puzzle. He says its not safe. He says he doesn't trust himself." Yugi whispered, staring at the golden treasure locked in his hands. _**/ /Mou Hitori no Boku? Are you sure?//**_

**/Yes, Aibou. I am sure./** His other replied.

Yugi blinked and slowly pulled the chain of the puzzle off his neck. He held it carefully as if it were ready to explode if he moved too quickly. Yugi didn't like the idea of having his other self gone, their link cut off. It didn't feel right. _**// Mou Hitori no Boku, please stay safe.// **_Yugi said before giving the puzzle to Marik.

"Thank you." Marik said and placed the puzzle on the table, a good distance from Yugi.

The teenager swallowed hard and looked around him. He truly hated this. It really sucked. He couldn't sense his other even though he knew he was only a few feet away. Their link was gone. It made Yugi feel vulnerable and lonely. He knew he depended on his other too much, but Yugi couldn't help it. He looked at the golden puzzle laying feet away. "You promise not to shatter it?"

Isis nodded, "As long as the pharaoh does not pose as an imminent threat to you, you have our word that the puzzle will remain whole."

Yugi nodded and felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Jou standing behind him, trying to give him the confidence he very much needed at that moment. "What now?" He asked, looking at the tomb keepers. "We can't sit here and expect the problem to solve itself. What caused the prophecy to come true?"

Marik gazed at Yugi's puzzle and tapped his fingers on the table. "Yugi shattered it."

"Accidentally." Yugi chided in, irritated.

Jou nodded, "Alright. Well, what happened while Yugi put together the puzzle?"

Everyone allowed their eyes to set on Yugi. The teen opened his mouth and then shut it, not knowing what to say. If he knew what happened to his other during that short transition in the puzzle, they wouldn't be in this mess.

Isis crossed her bronze arms and looked over at Yugi. "You said you two were arguing. What about?"

Yugi shook his head. "It was stupid. It was about how my other self punishes so harshly whenever anyone picks on me. I got upset because he made some guy go crazy after he shoved me into a locker. My other self was really upset." Yugi stated, looking longingly at the table. He wanted to rewind time to before they started to argue. He wanted to hug his other self and tell him it was okay.

"That was it?" Marik stated. "Nothing else was said."

Yugi shrugged, "That was the majority of it."

Isis turned to her brother. "It doesn't make any sense. Why would that mere argument cause such a disruption?"

Yugi bit his lip, his eyes squinting in concentration. "Well there was another thing. Near the end, I told him…." Yugi trailed off, ashamed and angered with himself for saying this to his other half.

"What is it Yugi?" Anzu asked.

"I said that all I ever saw in him anymore was anger." Yugi whispered, hiding his head in his hands. "That really upset him."

Marik blinked and looked back over at his sister. "That could have something to do with it."

Yugi uncovered his eyes and looked at them in wonder. "What do you mean?"

Isis stood and made her way over to Yugi. She knelt in front of him and looked at him carefully. "Was that when the puzzle shattered? After you stated that?"

"I-I think." Yugi stammered. "Why? Do you guys know what is wrong with the other me?" Hope started to swell inside of Yugi. If they knew what was wrong, they would be able to fix it.

Isis looked around. "The pharaoh doesn't have the power to do something this drastic to himself. Even if he wished to show Yugi something he could not see." Isis thought aloud, confusing almost everyone in the room. "It isn't possible unless…" Her eyes lit up. She stood and walked to the opposite side of the table. She gently picked up the millennium puzzle and examined it softly before flitting her eyes over to Yugi. "Yugi, I need you to think carefully. What did you wish for?"

Yugi blinked. Wish for? That's right! When the puzzle was completed it allowed the completer a single wish. Yugi shook his head. "But I didn't wish for anything. I was too worried about my other self to even remember about the whole wish thing."

Isis's expression fell. "You didn't say anything?"

Yugi shook his head.

Marik stopped his finger drumming and looked at his sister, "What if he didn't have to say it aloud?"

Isis lifted one of her eyebrows and then gazed at Yugi. "What were you thinking about?"

Yugi shook his head. "I don't know!" He said, somewhat annoyed. "I was worried, I was trying to finish the puzzle as soon as possible. I—" He cut himself off as a stray thought made its way into his brain. "I—um…. I thought about him, a lot." Yugi stated, his eyes scanning the floor as he tried to remember exactly what he had been thinking.

"What about him?" Anzu asked.

Yugi slammed his head onto the table in absolute agony. This entire thing was his doing. It wasn't the puzzle, it was him doing this to his other half.

"Yug! Are you okay?" Jou inquired, worried about his best friend's silence.

Yugi shook his head, refusing to look up at his friends. "I did this." He stated, no emotion in his voice. "I remember thinking how I wanted to see all sides of him. This whole thing is my doing." Yugi admitted, tears filling his eyes.

Yugi laid on his bed, sure everyone else was asleep. He had wondered into his room hours ago to think everything through. He had to see his other self again. He wanted to apologize. Yugi stood up and made his way over to the door. Yugi cracked it open to see Jou laying at his door step with a blanket and a pillow. Yugi bit back a smile as he walked over him.

Yugi made his way down stairs to see Marik asleep in the armchair and Isis laying on the couch. There was no sign of Anzu or Honda. Perhaps they had gone home? Yugi stood there for a moment, half away down the stairs and looked around. There was no sign of his puzzle anywhere. _Mou Hitori no Boku. _Yugi sighed in his mind.

The teen snuck down the stairs and looked around the corner to the kitchen. There in the moonlight, was Yugi's puzzle. It was shining as if calling out to him. Yugi watched his step and grabbed the chain slowly, clasping the cold metal to him. Immediately, he could feel his other's presence warming him. _**//Mou Hitori no Boku?//**_

**/What are you doing, young one?/**

**//**_**I must speak with you.//**_

The spirit made no protest and Yugi walked upstairs, making sure that Marik and Isis were still sleeping. He hopped over Jou's sleeping form and shut his door quietly. He bounced over to his bed, feeling like a kid at Christmas and held the puzzle tightly to his chest. _**//Meet me in my soul room//**_ Yugi stated as he closed his eyes, leaning back on his bed.

Yugi opened his eyes to see pale blue walls in his soul room. He sighed and turned to see his other half. Relief swam through him as his other smiled at him warmly. "You're okay." Yugi sighed.

"That I am." The former king replied.

Yugi stared at the spirit for a moment and then beamed. Pink. His other half's eyes were a bright pink. This was the first personality that Yugi encountered. "Mou Hitori no Boku, what is happening to you….its my fault." Yugi stated, moving closer to his other.

The spirit continued to smile. "Okay." He said acceptingly.

Yugi blinked at the response. "Okay?"

The king walked over to the teen and wrapped his arm about him in a comforting hug. "It's okay. I'm not upset." He said and released the teen.

"Oh." Was all Yugi could say.

"But I must say, I am a little disappointed that you went against the rules, little one. You shouldn't be around me right now. I am not safe for you."

"I don't care." Yugi said, leaning against the other. Yugi slowly sat down and felt his other half do the same. Yugi stared at the opposite wall. "I don't care what they say. I don't like being separated from you."

"Nor do I." His other replied, pulling him into his arms.

Yugi allowed himself to be held although it made him feel childish. It was so comforting that the teen could not deny the embrace. Yugi sighed deeply and closed his eyes, leaning his head against his darkness's chest. He never felt more comfortable in all his life.

"Aibou?"

Yugi opened his eyes and looked at the pink ones staring down as him. It was so loving the way those eyes held his own. Yugi smiled. "You're love."

The spirit smiled deeper and allowed his hand to caress Yugi's cheek. "Yes I am." He stated. He brushed Yugi's bangs out of his face and then held the teen closer.

Yugi took a deep breath and for a moment, everything was fine. This was the personality he liked the best. His darkness's loving side. This was the friend and protector he desired. Not the blood thirsty angered man he saw at times, not the pharaoh like figure. This man that held him safely was the person he wanted to know.

Yugi opened his eyes and looked up at the spirit who was watching him with a loving smile on his face. He leaned down and kissed Yugi's forehead softly. Now Yugi really did feel like a child. He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around his other. He had no idea he felt so…complete around his other half. This felt like…love. Yugi chuckled again.

"What strikes you as funny, my little light?"

"This weird warm and bubbly feeling I have right now."

_Yugi._

Yugi closed his eyes and leaned back against the former king. He ignored the sounds of Jou calling to him. It was just his imagination. He sighed as his other gently moved his hand up and down Yugi's back in a calming manner. If a soul could sleep, that was what Yugi wanted to do at that instant. Another kiss on the forehead. Yugi smiled and nuzzled his other's neck.

The man chuckled. "My silly little one." He stated.

Everything was so warm.

_Damn it, Yugi! I told you not to touch that thing. _

More voices. Yugi cringed and moved closer to his other, who held him just as tight. "Go away," Yugi moaned at the loud shouts. "Just leave us alone." He didn't want this calmness to end.

_Marik, what do we do?_

"Make them go away." Yugi whined, his eyes still closed and his voice now sleepy. "I just want to be with you, Mou Hitori no Boku." Yugi whispered, enjoying the warmth the spirit provided.

The spirit chuckled but gave no reply.

Suddenly words entered Yugi's soul room that froze every warm corner.

_There is nothing else we can do. Smash the puzzle._

A/N~ FEED ME!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N~ This update has been a long time coming. Sorry it took so long. I just had a few problems working out. I didn't know how people were going to react to the slight yaoi in the last chapter. For some, it wasn't well. Oh well, I guess I'll give it another shot and see how many people still enjoy the story.

_We have no choice…smash the puzzle._

Chapter 7

No!" Yugi screamed, finding himself in a sitting position and desperately clinging the puzzle closer to his chest. He gazed up to see all his friends closely surrounding him, worried looks on their faces. He stood abruptly on his chest and held the puzzle to his chest so tightly he was afraid that it might cut deep into his body. His breath was ragged as he stood above the others and gave them all looks of horror.

Jou held out his hand. "Yugi, hand dat thing over." He instructed in a somewhat patient tone.

"No." Yugi stated firmly. "I won't let you take Mou Hitori no Boku away from me."

Honda wasn't so nice. "Yugi, give it to us or I swear I will tackle you to the floor and take it from you."

Fear coursed through the teen's veins. He couldn't let his friends take the puzzle away. His other self wasn't going to hurt him at all. He couldn't. It wasn't in him to bring harm to his light. Sure, he wasn't the most stable person at the moment but that didn't mean that he was dangerous. Yugi had to protect his other half even when his friends didn't want him to. He glanced down at the puzzle and nodded softly, a defeated look in his eyes. He took the puzzle by the chain and slowly brought it towards Jou's extended hand.

But Yugi had another plan. Just as Jou was about to grab the sacred item, Yugi jumped off the bed and bolted for the door. Marik tried his best to catch him but years of bullying had forced Yugi to become quick on his feet. He dodged Marik's grasping hands has he made head-way down the stairs.

**/Don't worry, Mou Hitori no Boku, I'll take care of you. I won't let them separate us. I'll fix this mess./ **Yugi promised him.

"Yugi!" He heard Anzu shout. "Yugi, please, we only want to help. Please let us."

The teen didn't answer. He continued to run, grabbing his shoes and a coat before turning towards the door. He froze in his spot as he saw Honda standing by the door, his arms crossed. "I'm not letting you leave, Yugi. Not with that thing. I know you hate me for it now but later you'll thank me. You'll thank all of us."

Yugi bit his lip hard. He had never approved of violence nor had he ever used it before. But his other half would be in danger if Yugi didn't stay with him. He had to save him; he had to protect him. Yugi swallowed hard and bolted towards Honda.

At first, Honda seemed slightly surprised at Yugi's actions and didn't know how to act. This was exactly what Yugi was hoping for. He used his small amount of body weight to slam into Honda which effectively caused him to fall backwards. Yugi threw the door open and the sound of rain in the dark poured into his ears.

As he set foot outside, Yugi felt a hand clasp tightly around his foot. Yugi looked down to see Honda holding tightly to his ankle, trying to pull the teen back. Yugi gasped and saw his other friends coming to aid in Honda's struggle. Yugi grinded his teeth and with all his might slammed the puzzle against his friend's back.

Honda's yelp of pain was the last thing Yugi registered as he ran in the pouring rain and into the streets. He dodged a car fixing to run him over and ignored the cursing that followed. Yugi turned around to see Jou and Marik rushing at him as fast as they could. Yugi looked up and down the street for some path to get away. He had to go to someone who would understand. Someone who would listen to him. But he couldn't let the others know where he was going.

Yugi threw his shoes onto the street. Now that his socks were soaked through, there was no point in putting them on. They would only slow him down. Yugi put the puzzle around his neck and ran. He took strange streets that he had never taken before. He did anything to get rid of the people on his tail.

The teen rounded the corner just in time to see Marik and Jou looking for him. He pulled himself around the corner and held his breath as his friends approached. Yugi shrank back into the shadows and placed a hand over his mouth, trying to silence his loud breathing. The loud rain helped his efforts. Jou and Marik looked down the alley before continuing on.

With a sigh of relief, Yugi slid down the wall he leaned against. His form shook with the cold of the weather. Yugi huddled against the wall and gazed outside the alley. It didn't look like anyone was there. Before he take a step out of the alley a hand clasped over his mouth and a strong arm wrapped around his form, dragging him back into the darkness.

Yugi felt fear paralyze his body as heavy breathing fanned his ear. Yugi shuddered as the stranger sniffed his neck. The rain came down harder as Yugi was pulled further back into the shadows. The street lamps on the main street looked so far away. "Hey pretty." A husky whisper came.

Instinct told Yugi to struggle and he did just that. He bit the man's hand which was quickly removed from his mouth. The man growled but didn't let go of Yugi's torso. The injured hand found the chain to Yugi's puzzle. The teen panicked further.

"How much is your pretty necklace worth? Looks gold." The drunk man asked, turned Yugi around to face him. Black, greasy hair hung in the man's face, hiding at least one of his beady eyes. The man was a street wandered, that much was clear. The hand holding his puzzle grew tighter and he tried to remove the chain from Yugi's neck.

"Stop!" Yugi shouted, pulling back and backing away from the man.

A smirk crossed the man's face. "I just wanted to play a little game."

A sudden feeling of surprisingly powerful anger consumed him. He hadn't felt this way in a very long time. The last time was when his other half had taken over. Long ago before Yugi had any idea of his other's existence, this was the feeling he would get before slipping into unconsciousness. Yugi looked down at the puzzle which was glowing softly in the loud rain.

"Don't." Yugi whispered, trying to calm himself down. Maybe if his other felt his calming nerves he wouldn't feel the need to attack. Yugi tried to catch his breath when the man who had attacked him placed his arms about Yugi.

"What's wrong pretty boy? You don't want to play my game?"

Snap.

Yugi felt powerful emotions flow through him. He saw his other through the darkness that was trying to cloud his vision. "Don't Mou Hitori no Boku. Please." Yugi begged as his other started to take over. Yugi looked at his opposite and gasped when green eyes glared at him before completely disappearing.

Yugi felt like he was watching a tape then. He saw himself, rather, his other self some forth and give the man such a hateful look. Yugi gasped as his darkness grabbed his attacker by the throat and used his power to shove him into the opposite wall. "You dare put your hands on him?" His voice was low and harsh. Yugi shuddered at that tone.

The attacker suddenly looked frightened. "Okay, calm down, pretty."

"You have no right to call him that. You have no right to talk to him. You have no right to even look at him." His other half defended him. Yugi felt some relief that his other was there to defend him but fear about what exactly he was going to do to this man. **/Mou Hitori no Boku, please let him be./**

_**//He tried to hurt you. He tried to make you his**_.// His darkness replied with a harsh tone. _**//This I cannot allow.//**_

**/Mou Hitori no Boku, please./** Yugi pleaded with him, closing his eyes so he could communicate better with his other. **/Just let him go and we can leave. I'm cold./** He stated and then smiled at his own plan to escape without having his darkness murder someone. **/I'm soaked through and I need to get warm. If I don't I could get really sick. The best thing is to leave./**

_**//I will not allow him to harm you nor will I allow him to take you away from me. You're my hikari and only mine. You are not to be shared with anyone else.//**_

**/I know./** Yugi replied back**. /Just get me out of this alley./**

His other half considered and much to Yugi's relief, he let go of the frightened attacker. He watched as the man ran down the alley and back to whatever hole he crawled out of. Yugi was shaking and soon realized that his other had allowed him control again. **/Thank you, Mou Hitori no Boku./**

Yugi shivered before taking a deep breath and calming his nerves. He had just dodged a bullet and was happy for it. He bolted to the end of the alley to see that Marik and Jou were still no longer in sight. Yugi was cold and he needed to get warm. He knew exactly where to go. He had to go to the only person who would understand what he was going through.

The teen ran through the streets, wincing at his sore feet with how cut up they were. Yugi panted for air as he rounded a few streets, finally figuring out where he was and where he needed to go. He spotted his destination after a few minutes of running and bit his lip. The lights were one, so he must be home.

Yugi took a deep breath and ran to the door. He slammed his fists against it and screamed for someone to answer. After several moments, a timid figure opened to door and stared at Yugi in shock. "Yugi?!" He shouted.

"Ryou." Yugi whispered in the silent rain. "I need your help."

TBC

Can anyone guess what personality showed up this time?


	8. Chapter 8

A/N~ Sorry for the long time to update. I don't have the entire story written out and I hate just writing by chapter. I have the plot down but I haven't finished all the writing yet. Thanks for all the support and reviews. Some of them made me laugh. Okay, here is chapter 8 to The True You

The True You

Chapter 8

Ryou carefully set the cup of tea down in front of Yugi, only pausing to grab the blanket and wrap it tighter around Yugi. Yugi shuddered but smiled at Ryou in thanks and quickly took a gulp of the warm beverage provided to him. The warmth and taste of lemon tea spread down his throat and into his stomach. It would have made the teen smile but there were other issues at hand. He watched as Ryou settled in the chair in front of the coffee table and stare at Yugi's millennium puzzle. "So your wish is what did this?"

Yugi nodded. "Yeah." Finally calming down his emotions from the horrible day he and his other self were experiencing.

The white haired teen fell back against the chair. "And I thought Bakura and I had problems." He muttered but gave Yugi a sympathetic look when his friend frowned at the comment. "Sorry. It's just that this is the last thing you'd expect to happen to the other you. He always seems so…solid."

Guilt was an overwhelming emotion to Yugi at that moment. Yugi shivered and wrapped the warm cotton blanket around his cold form. He had removed his leather pants and shirt and now wore one of Ryou's old T-shirts and his own boxers. Normally this outfit would have made him feel vulnerable but thoughts of his darkness were clouding his normal thought process.

This was all his fault after all. "He was just trying to protect me." Yugi whispered as he stared into his steaming cup of tea. He shifted slightly as a bead of water from his hair traveled down his back only to be quickly sucked up by Ryou's dry shirt. Yugi let out a sigh and shook his head. "I should have never yelled at him the way I did."

"It's not your fault. Friends fight." Ryou justified. "Besides, the way he was acting, he deserved it."

Angered, Yugi gave him a death glare. "You think Mou Hitori no Boku deserves this?"

Ryou sat up at the look he was being given and shook his head. "No, of course not!" He defended himself. "I just don't understand why he would get so upset over a simple argument."

"It wasn't a simple argument. We screamed and then I smashed the puzzle." Yugi explained, letting go of his death glare to gaze at his tea again. He took another sip, wishing to feel that warm feeling again swishing down his throat. But the warming effects before had already took away his cold. Yugi placed the tea back onto the coaster and swallowed the rest of the lemon tea down his throat. "Does this have pepper in it?" He asked.

Chocolate eyes lit up as he nodded. "My mother's old trick. Heated lemon tea with common pepper and a little bit of honey makes your body temperature rise. That way you'll sweat out any cold if you get one at all."

"Interesting." Yugi lied as he leaned back against the couch he was sitting in. His hand traveled to the puzzle around his neck. His nails traced the golden edges and cracks. He hoped his other self was okay. A soft brush of his other's mind told Yugi he was okay. He smiled slightly before looking back up at Ryou. The teen's chest looked especially bare. "Where is the millennium ring?"

Ryou nodded towards the stairs of his apartment. "It's on my bed. I figured that would be best until we figured out what was going on. All we need right now is to have Bakura taking advantage of our emotional king."

"Hm." Yugi agreed as his eyes drifted to the stairs. "What are we going to do?"

The phone rang causing both of the teens to jump. Ryou snorted at their silliness before promptly rising and answering the phone. "Ryou speaking, hello?" He greeted.

Yugi thought it was a strange way to answer the phone but it made him smile. His friend's background always made for interesting and at time entertaining conversation. Yugi smiled as he continued to grip the puzzle around his neck, happy that his other self seemed content at the moment. It made him feel a little better when a happier or more carefree personality was in place. Then it wasn't like his darkness was suffering.

"Wait, calm down Anzu." Ryou stated, causing the smile on Yugi's lips to tear off quickly. His eyes flitted to Ryou nervously as Ryou stared back at his concerned friend. "Yugi is missing?" He asked, trying to sound as concerned as Yugi knew his other friends were. Yugi shook his head slowly, his eyes wide. Ryou seemed to get the hint rather quickly. "No, no I haven't seen him. How long ago did he leave?"

Yugi sighed in relief as he mouthed 'thank you' to Ryou who nodded understandingly.

"Okay, he couldn't be far. I'll go out and help you look." Ryou nodded and smiled at Yugi who was happy the teen was going along with his run away. "Okay, I'll meet you at the station in about ten minutes."

Amethyst eyes watched closely as Ryou hung up the phone and bit his lip. "They thought you came here. I'll take them off your trail for a while. You're more than welcome to stay here as long as I can stall them." Ryou offered, moving to the closet to grab his coat and shoes.

"Why are you leaving?" Yugi questioned, a thought making his blood run cold.

Ryou smiled kindly before slipping his feet into the shoes. "I don't want them coming here. I figure if I'm out 'looking for you' than they won't suspect where you really are." Ryou explained, putting his coat on.

Yugi's eyes moved to the fireplace to his side. He stiffened and sat up slowly, terror quickly undoing what the tea had worked so hard to do. The blanket fell from Yugi's shoulders as he stood and moved over to the fire place. "You could just stay here." He suggested, taking the fire stoke and poking the burning logs casually.

"Nah. I'll lead them off your trail." Ryou chirped.

"You're not leaving." Yugi stated firmly, gripping the stoke hard. "I can't let you tell them where I am."

Ryou froze and turned to the teen. "Yugi, I'm doing this to protect you and the pharaoh. I wouldn't tell them where you are. You came to me for help and I'm going to help. But first I have to make it look like you skipped town or something." Ryou tried to explain. Yugi turned around with the poker pointing very closely at Ryou. The end was slightly red with heat and Ryou took a startled step back. "Y-Yugi, what are you doing?"

"Sit down." Yugi directed him. He wasn't going to let anyone take his darkness away. This was his mess and he was going to clean it up. Another brush to his soul told Yugi his other self was no longer content but concerned.

Very carefully, Ryou settled back into the couch. "Think about what you're doing, Yugi."

"I am." Yugi's voice shook. "I know you're trying to be nice you but I can't chance you bringing them to me."

A glow around Ryou's chest caused both of them to jump in their stances. Yugi's eyes narrowed as the millennium ring suddenly glowed around Ryou's neck. Ryou glanced at Yugi carefully. "Careful, Bakura. Be easy on them." Ryou spoke before another glow.

Lavender eyes traced amethyst with a sneer. "You dare threaten my hikari, you little brat?"

Yugi kept a tight hold on the poker in his hand even though he knew it was a useless weapon against the thief king. He glanced at the ring, positive that it hadn't been there before. "How did you do that?" Yugi asked, shifting in his spot near the fire.

"When you endanger my host, you endanger me. This I cannot allow." Bakura snorted at him. "Now what are you doing here, brat? Why hasn't your little king shown his face?"

"I'm not telling you anything." Yugi growled at him, keeping his defensive position. His felt his other self stir uncomfortably within him and flinched at the uncertainty his other felt. Yugi swallowed and jabbed the pointed in Bakura's direction. "I don't want you around. Bring out Ryou, I trust him."

Lavender eyes flitted to the poker in Yugi's hand that now contained no heat. "Yes, I can see that." He stood faster than Yugi could blink and quickly grabbed the poker out of his hand. Yugi gasped when Bakura threw it across the room. It clanked to a stop against the wall. "What now, little hikari?"

Yugi stepped back as he gripped the puzzle tightly. /**Mou Hitori no Boku?/ **Only silence on the other end of the link. No words but emotions came through so rushed that Yugi could barely think straight. There was more than one emotion pouring through their spiritual bond and Yugi gasped as he gripped the chain to the puzzle roughly.

"Well?" Bakura growled, backing Yugi against the wall.

The puzzle felt so warm but that warmth turned to white blinding heat as Yugi gasped for breath. His other self was trying to take over and Yugi felt as if there was nothing he could do stop the spirit. If the once pharaoh wanted out, he was going to get out.

"That's right." Bakura teased. "Call to that spirit of yours."

With a blink, Yugi was in his soul room. His eyes were following his body still. He scanned the floor of his soul room as he saw what his darkness did. His other self was now gripping Bakura's throat tightly, trying to choke the being to death. Yugi moved out of the soul room to see the spirit growling viciously at Bakura who was trying to pry the man's hands off him.

"Mou Hitori no Boku, stop it! It's not Bakura, its Ryou! You'll kill him." Yugi shouted at him. His other half paid no attention.

Brown eyes were too preoccupied with lavender to make any sense of what Yugi was saying. Bakura growled and finally slipped the former king's hands off him. He seemed to be just as freaked out by his rival's eyes as his other friends had been. "What the fuck?" He choked as he pushed the man onto the couch.

Yugi paced the back of the couch as Bakura seemed to see him. Yugi blinked, kinda surprised but then glanced down at his darkness who was seething, his fists clenched and growls escaping his lips. "You better get out of here." Yugi warned Bakura who was watching his rival closely.

"What the hell happened to him?" He asked as a smirk graced his lips. "He looked pissed. It's kind of amusing."

Amethyst eyes narrowed as Yugi released a growl of his own. "I'm warning you, Bakura. If you don't want Ryou hurt, then go away."

The former king was on his feet again, circling Bakura like a vulture. "I shall enjoy killing you." He seethed and Yugi swallowed hard. He shouldn't have come here. Not with his other so out of control and him helpless to stop him. He felt so useless. Yugi bit his lip as his other half growled when Bakura took a step towards him.

"Mou Hitori no Boku, please." Yugi hated how his voice sounded whiny.

Bakura snorted, "Bring it on, little king." He growled. Yugi let out a helpless cry when his other launched at Bakura, tackling both of them to floor. Yugi gasped as Yami straddled Bakura's hips and forced the thief's hands above his head. Bakura obviously didn't understand how angry his other half was. The thief called the shadows to his aid but his rival did as well.

Yugi stomped his foot before rushing over to his darkness. He couldn't let his other self harm Ryou even if it was Bakura doing all the taunting. "Mou Hitori no Boku, stop this right now!" Yugi yelled at him as he gripped the king's shoulder and pulled him off the thief. Yami's dangerous dark eyes glared at the being in charge of stopping his attack. The shadows danced around their master's feet dangerously, waiting for any command to lash out at the precious light. They would love that. "You won't hurt me." Yugi stated angrily.

"What makes you think that, hikari?" His darkness hissed at him. He looked funny in a white T-shirt and boxers when he was so angry. If the situation wasn't so intense, Yugi would have laughed.

The teen was thrilled that he had figured out this personality, or lack for a better word, personalities. Yugi smiled at him. He hoped he was right. Yugi took Bakura's hand and pulled him to his feet. The thief growled at the help from his rival's spirit hikari. Yugi's form glowed with his confidence. "You're just jealous." He mocked.

Brown eyes glowed dangerously. "Jealous?" His other self sneered.

"Yeah." Yugi shrugged. He gave Bakura a knowing glance who was giving Yugi a quizzical look. Yugi took Bakura's arm and placed it on his hip. His other self stiffened and practically hissed at the thief. "You're just jealous that he was going to make a move on me before you could."

As the words left his mouth, Yami lunged at Bakura, taking his arm clean off Yugi. "You're not to touch him!" The king of the shadows roared as he pushed Bakura to the floor with all his strength. "You have your own hikari. Leave mine be!" He hissed before Yugi grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up.

"Easy!" Yugi yelled at him. He had to be careful now. The once king shook with anger but Yugi took an arm and awkwardly wrapped it around the spirit's waste. "It's okay." He cooed, his voice so seductive that both the shadow king and the thief gave the teen a look of surprise. "I only want you." Yugi admitted, hoping his plan would work. He pulled the shaking form into a hug, holding him tightly as possible.

The shaking stopped as did the growling. Yugi let go of his darkness to see that his eyes were closed. Bakura got to his feet quickly as he glanced at Yugi. "What the hell was that?"

"Sh!" Yugi shushed him with a wave of his arm. "Mou Hitori no Boku?" He asked coolly.

Eyes opened and glanced down at Yugi. His darkness smiled, as did Yugi when he was met with crayon yellow eyes. "Yes, aibou?"

Yugi shook his head, "Nothing. Why don't you go back into my soul room and see if you can find anymore Kuriboh stickers." Yugi suggested and the former king nodded readily. Quickly, Yugi closed his eyes and opened them again to be happy to be in control of his body. Bakura was giving him a look of absolute horror mixed with confusion. Yugi just smiled at him. "Unless you want him to threaten to tear your face off, I'd put Ryou back in control."

Bakura growled at him but a flash of the millennium ring told Yugi that he was going to listen. Lavender disappeared and was replaced by chocolate. Ryou bit his lip before looking Yugi up and down. "That was intense." He stated.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed. "Sorry."

Ryou stayed where he was. He glanced towards the door has he rubbed his neck uncomfortably. "Man, he really got a grip there."

"Sorry." Yugi repeated.

The white haired teen noticed the smile on Yugi's face and flinched. "You do realize that if I don't show up at the station they will come find me?" Yugi didn't say a word, he just smiled and held the chain of the puzzle tightly in one fist. "If I headed for the door right now are you going to take my head off?"

Yugi shook his head. "Yeah, about that…" Yugi swallowed and finally lifted his eyes from the gold to Ryou's face. "I can't let anyone take him away. They just don't understand. I know they are worried about me but I was the one who wished for this. I have to see it through. I think the puzzle is repairing him anyway."

Ryou sat back down in the chair and narrowed his brow in thought. "How do you mean? He looked pretty messed up to me."

Amethyst eyes traced Ryou's form before looking back down at the puzzle. "It was different this time. There was more than one set of emotions hitting me. I felt jealousy, vulnerability, anger, and envy all at once. Last time…"

"Last time, what?"

Yugi sat down on the couch slowly. "Last time they were separate. The alley and then the second time I saw him. He was angry and jealous at the same time!" He exclaimed ecstatically. "He is fixing himself!"

"Huh?" Ryou shifted forward.

Amethyst eyes lit up as he smiled down at his golden treasure in his hands. Warmth from his other self spread through him like wild fire. He had never felt so relieved in his entire life. "Mou Hitori no Boku was jealous and angry at once. Before he was those two emotions separately." Yugi blinked. "Green and orange make brown." Yugi reasoned in his head. "His emotions are pulling themselves back together."

Ryou smiled. "So all we have to do is wait it out?"

"I think so." Yugi sighed, throwing himself back in relief. He finally felt like he could breathe. His other self was going to be okay. Yugi tried to brush his mind against his darkness but found he wasn't there. Frowning, Yugi sat up and tried again, searching for his presence. He felt so empty without it. **/Mou Hitori no Boku?/**

No response.

"What's wrong?" Ryou asked, noticing the freaked out look on his face.

Yugi shook his head when he started panicking. "I'm not sure. I can't sense him." Yugi stood and started pacing the room. **/Mou Hitori no Boku? Please answer me. Are you okay?/** Yugi kept trying, his eyes moving back and forth to listen for any signs of his other's voice.

Brown eyes watched Yugi carefully. Ryou stood and walked over to Yugi, forcing him to stop his pacing. "I'm sure he's okay." Ryou reasoned. "All that anger, maybe he just needs a rest or something. Bakura often does that after-,"

"No." Yugi cut him off. "He always answers when I call for him." Yugi whispered. Something was wrong. Yugi moved to the couch. "I'm going in to make sure he's okay." Yugi informed him. He held the puzzle closely in his hands, holding it tightly. His subconscious reached out for his darkness but felt nothing there. "Please don't go get them, Ryou." Yugi pleaded before closing his eyes.

Only slight dizziness affected him this time. He was getting pretty good at this. Yugi opened his eyes to see that his other self's soul room door was open. This made the teen frown. His other half wouldn't ignore him on purpose. The darkening of the door was worse than the last time Yugi had seen it. This only frightened the teen more so than before. He would have thought that it would have been better since he found away to use his emotions to control his darkness's a little better. Why would the shadows continue to try to destroy their master?

Yugi flinched at the word 'destroy' as he walked carefully to the hallway. He shivered at the cold, wrapping his arms around himself. It felt so cold. That wasn't a good sign.

Cautiously, Yugi peaked into the room of his other half. He was surprised to see his darkness sitting cross legged in the center of the floor in the maze of his mind. Yugi hesitated before entering the room. "Mou Hitori no Boku?" He asked softly.

He felt nothing. Yugi swallowed hard. He needed to see his other self's eyes. Yugi coughed to make his presence more known. Nothing.

Yugi took a few more steps into the room. He jumped when he heard slamming coming from behind him. Yugi whirled around to see that his other half's soul room door was now shut tight. Yugi looked behind him before moving towards the door and tried to turn the knob. It was locked tight. Yugi grunted in dismay and slight desperation. As much as he believed in his other self, he didn't want to be locked in a room filled with traps with him at that moment. "Mou Hitori no Boku, open this door." Yugi insisted strictly.

Low chuckling made Yugi shiver. "I don't think so."

That voice made Yugi think of how his darkness had behaved during the whole doma incident. Yugi swallowed hard. "I mean it, Mou Hitori no Boku. You're scaring me." Yugi turned to give a death glare.

"Good." Slowly, his darkness turned to him. Terror made Yugi stay very, very still. His darkness smirked. "You won't be leaving this prison." He assured his lighter half. Yugi swallowed hard. There was no color in his other half's eyes. That was the problem. Black orbs stared amused and evil daggers into him.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

A/N~ Long time. I know. Sorry.

Chapter 9

Yugi leaned against the door, attempting to remain fearless in front of the darkness that remained of his darker half. It didn't make any sense. Perhaps he had been wrong about the colors. Anyone who took an art class knew that all colors put together made black. So this would mean that his other self was completely fixed.

A dark chuckled flushed away those thoughts.

"M-Mou Hitori no Boku?" Yugi tried to keep his voice steady.

The smirk which delicately decorated his other self's face quickly changed into a sneer. "Do not dare call me that. You have not the right nor the privilege."

Yugi grinded his teeth together. That one hurt a lot. He had never realized that his oth- his darkness did not enjoy the title he had given him. He had never protested before. Yugi had become rather fond of the title and the relationship which it held. He took a shaky breath. "What is wrong?" He questioned. Perhaps the best way to fix the spirit was by facing each personality and emotion head on.

A snarl passed through the spirit's lips. "Do not dare classify me as a mere emotion!" He roared, his eyes turning darker if that was even possible.

This was not right. Yugi did his best to block the thoughts and feelings he was experiencing from his darkness. This was not a personality characteristic that Yugi was accustom to or had even seen before. This was not his other self. Was it the shadows playing tricks on him? He winced as he felt the power of the spirit trying to pry into his mind.

"I didn't mean to classify you as an emotion." Yugi said apologetically. "I just…." His eyes torn away from the figure in frustration.

Another chuckle could be heard. "You think that you can just bat those eyes of yours and always get your way, do you not?" The spirit approached him and Yugi felt himself cringe. He stood in front of him before grabbing his chin and forcing him to look into his black eyes. "But soon you shall learn that only I am entitled to get my way. And that shall also mean the end of you."

Yugi flinched, staring at those eyes. It was like looking into a black hole. It sucked everything in and didn't allow anything back out, even light. And that was exactly what his other self was doing. Nothing was showing but evil and pure darkness. "W-who are you?" Yugi stammered, shuddering a little and backing out of the forced embrace of the spirit.

Another sick chuckle. The spirit stepped back and lifted his arms as if ready to deliver a small hug. "I am Pharaoh."

Yugi just gave him a startled glance. "No you're not."

"Oh but I am." The spirit's arms fell back to his side as he began to circle Yugi like a wolf ready to pounce. "This is who I am in all my glory. Though I suppose this is who I once was." He gave a menacing look at the hikari currently trying not to shake under his terrifying glare. "But that twas a time far before your filthy hands ever touched my puzzle."

Yugi tried hard. He really did. But he couldn't help it when a tear formed in his eye. He refused to let it fall. He kept his head high and refused to look at the spirit.

"Does it not bother you that you were correct all along about my true self?" The spirit asked.

Yugi frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I am speaking on the idea that you believed I was evil. Doesn't it bother you that you were cor-"

"I never said you were evil!" Yugi snapped, turning to him sharply.

Before he had realized it, he was on the floor. His cheek stung something awful. Out of complete instinct, his hand lifted to his cheek, flinching at how hot it was. He looked up at his other half who was snickering down at him. "Never interrupt a Pharaoh when he is speaking."

More tears formed in his eyes. This time he could not keep them back. They rolled down his cheek without anything to stop them. Yugi shuddered with a silent sob. His darkness had never struck him before. Not ever. This was not his darkness. This was evil. Yugi took a shaky breath and tried to calm himself. _This is not Mou Hitori no Boku. He would never hurt you. He strides to protect you, not harm you. This is not your other half!_

"Perhaps I am not the darkness you are so used to. Although how can you know me? I've been locked away since my rebirth. And you are the reason I was locked away." Those black eyes kept a steady glance at the boy pulling himself to his feet.

Yugi was not weak. He stood strong and stopped his tears. "I didn't lock you away. You did it to yourself! You protected your people and saved the world!"

"That was not was I was referring to." The darkness snickered. He circled Yugi once again. "You locked me away. Twas you that changed me into something I was never meant to be. I was Pharaoh. I was a God. You stripped me of that!" He growled. Yugi remained still, unsure of what he was talking about. "People would cower before me very presence. There was not a game I could not win. I was destined to be locked away for all eternity. But then you came along."

"I freed you." Yugi pointed out. "And you became my-"

"Don't you dare say it!" The spirit barked. "You may have unlocked this prison but you locked away a part of me forever. My ability to control everything around me. The part of me which ruled Khemet. You locked away all of it!"

Yugi was starting to become angry. "I gave you freedom! You know you wanted that!"

"I wanted freedom. I did not want rules. I did not want some…" He looked Yugi up and down with an expression of disdain. "commoner to tell me what I could or could not do. You made me compassionate and careful of my actions."

"You're welcome!" Yugi shouted at him, angered. His Mou Hitori no Boku should have been happy to learn those characteristics, not displeased. The spirit lifted another hand to hit him but Yugi was much quicker. He grabbed his wrist and growled at him. "I will not hear anymore of this Mou Hitori no Boku! You are my darkness, my other half. This is not you. You were already compassionate. You locked yourself away to save your people and the world. I didn't make that part of you. You already had it within you!"

The millennium symbol appeared on the spirit's forehead, his eyes deepening their blackened hell. "You dare raise you voice to me? You dare point out my flaws?"

"They aren't flaws, Mou Hitori no Boku. You may think they are but they aren't. Those are all the things I like about you. They are all your strengths." Yugi smiled a little through his tears. "Please don't be upset. There isn't a part of you I don't like. I like every part of you."

"I shall do my best to change that!" A wave of dark magic pushed Yugi back and he was forced to fall on his back. He blinked in surprise, his heart hammering in his chest. He sat up only for a moment before the spirit grabbed his arm and proceeded to drag him across the floor. "I shall instill a sense of fear in you even if it destroys me."

"Let go of me! Mou Hitori no Boku! You're hurting me!" Yugi growled and struggled. He would break through to his other half. He struggled hard no longer fearing for his safety anymore. "Mou Hitori no Boku I'm sorry."

The spirit halted all movement and looked down at him with his beady eyes. "Excuse me?"

Yugi struggled and broke free. He stood up quickly, ready to fight if he needed to. "You heard me. I'm sorry."

There was a frown on the spirit's face. "What?"

Yugi sighed and looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry that I called your actions evil. I was just upset."

"Keep your mouth shut!" The darkness snarled.

Yugi shook his head. "I won't. I have to get this out. This is all my fault and I don't think you know how sorry I am. So here it is. I am truly sorry. I didn't realize that my words affected you so much. I didn't realized how much my thoughts and feelings affected you. I should have been more considerate of your position."

There was silence.

Yugi looked up and was a little shocked at what he saw. There were still black orbs staring back at him but they were not as evil and they were not angry. They held a look of absolute confusion. "Mou Hitori no Boku?"

"I do not understand." Those orbs flinched in confusion.

"I am sorry. And I hope you forgive me." Yugi said genuinely. He made certain that his voice did not strain under the tears he knew where in his eyes.

Black orbs flinched again. "No I understood what you said. However, I seem to not understand the meaning of those words. I do not understand why you are saying this to me now. What is the point? I could destroy you. What do you gain for saying this to me?"

"Nothing." Yugi admitted.

Black orbs narrowed on him and he backed away.

"What are you afraid of?" Yugi asked, stepping forward. His darkness was afraid. He was confused and afraid. Yugi had to admit that he did not like this. He could barely sense his other self through this entire encounter. Now that feeling of emptiness was growing. In a state of panic, Yugi started walking towards his other half. "Mou Hitori no Boku?"

The darkness stepped back and closed his eyes. He gripped his head hard and fell to his knees.

"Mou Hitori no Boku!" Yugi cried out in alarm. He rushed over to aid his other half, watching as the millennium symbol that had been burning so brightly on his forehead completely disappeared. Yugi settled down next to him and placed his hands on his darkness's shoulders. "Mou Hitori no Boku?"

There was a tear. Yugi felt it so clearly that it made him dizzy and sick to his stomach. His vision darkened. His link with his other self was falling apart; completely this time. Yugi panicked and shook his other. The spirit squeezed either side of his head and screamed. He actually screamed. He was in pain.

_**/**_ _**Mou Hitori no Boku!/**_ Yugi cried out through their link.

The spirit in front of him went rigid and started to fall to his side. Yugi quickly grabbed him and held him close. What was happening? What was going on? Everything was getting worse. His other half was not getting better. He was getting so much worse! Yugi cradled the body close to him. He felt cold, so very cold.

Out of the corner of his eye there was movement. Yugi twisted his head to see the shadows stirring around them. A small whimper came out of his mouth against his will. Yugi swallowed hard and stood, lifting his other half as best he could. He proceeded to drag him towards his soul room. _**/It's going to be okay Mou Hitori no Boku, I'll fix this. I promise. I'll fix this./**_

Yugi found his way over to the locked door of his other's soul room. When he turned the knob, he was surprised that the knob actually moved. It opened and Yugi dragged his lifeless other half into his own room, safe from the shadows. They snarled and growled in their confines, wrapping their way around the spirit's soul room door. Creaking could he heard from the door as the wrath and anger of the shadows became apparent. Yugi placed his other half against the wall and rushed over to the door. In the best voice he could muster he whispered. "Go away!" and the door was slammed shut.

The hikari turned his attention to the lifeless form of his darkness. He knelt by the man and placed his hand on his forehead. His darkness was freezing. Yugi gasped and pulled at his own hair, unsure of what to do to help his other half. "Mou Hitori no Boku." He whined slightly. He took off his jacket and placed it around the individual.

The dark half remained still. Not only was he still, he looked paler than ever. Yugi stared at his body. He knew spirits didn't breath but it didn't change the fact that his Yami's soul looked….dead. The irony of that fact hit home and not in a funny way. What if he lost his darkness? What if he had failed to do his job as the lighter half?

At a loss of what to do, Yugi snuggled up to his other half and cried. He cried hard for the first time in a while, especially since this entire disaster started. He held his darkness against him tightly. He had done this. This was his fault. And now he was going to lose his closest friend. He sobbed pathetically, hating himself for it.

**/A-aibou?/**

Yugi's head jerked up. He wiped his tears away quickly. _**/ Mou Hitori no Boku?/**_

**/C-can't…..move/**

Their bond was weak but it was still there. Yugi gazed over him and wrapped his jacket around him tighter. _**/It's okay. I have you. You are okay./**_

**/No, hikari. I…am dying/**

**TBC**

**A/N~ So Yami's personality may need some explanation. So this is the part of Yami from season 0 the part that really is evil. This was the side of him he showed mostly when ruling his country. This is because as a king, he was not to show sympathy or weakness so this personality was developed. However, when meeting Yugi, it was locked away because Yugi taught Yami compassion and forgiveness. This is why this personality hates Yugi and does not understand why Yugi forgives him. He is evil and therefore does not understand forgiveness.**


End file.
